Loose parts in the outdoor classroom are just as invaluable as they are in the indoor classroom. When we are thinking about outdoor learning, we can think big. Outdoor learning should involve developing gross motor skills, and big loose parts support this as well as lots of other skills such as problem-solving and imagination. I still provide the children with a selection of small loose parts such as conkers and pine cones, which they can transport around the space, but they also have a large selection of big loose parts as continuous provision and open-ended areas to use them in.
When thinking about open-ended provision, I think it is also important to consider how open-ended the areas of the indoor/ outdoor classroom are. Providing the two combined creates spaces which are totally unrestricted to the children.
Two examples in my outside space are the gravel pit and the woodland area. These areas are not defined by the practitioners, but rather it is left to the children to decide what will happen in the moment.
Gravel pit
This gravel pit is one of the most popular. In true Early Years on a Shoestring style, it was very inexpensive to install; I ordered three railway sleepers and half a tonne of pea shingle. Laid straight on top of the paving slabs, it was very quick to install, and the children helped us transport the gravel in using their mini wheelbarrows.
Stored next to the gravel pit are my big loose parts. Cable reels, car tyres, go-kart tyres and various guttering pipes can be accessed by the children independently. This continuous provision has many different uses.
The children use these loose parts in various ways, from creating obstacle courses all around the outdoor classroom to balancing the guttering on a cable reel, creating a ramp for their vehicle, and even pouring the pea shingle down a pipe, demonstrating their enclosing schema.
The team also use these open-ended resources to create invitations to play. Using them in set-ups creates added interest but also gives the children a prompt or idea of what they could do with the resources.
Another open-ended area in my setting which is just as popular is the woodland area. Created in a similar way to the gravel pit, I used railway sleepers and logs to enclose the bark.
Woodland area
This area has been used for tea parties, bug hunts, and base camp when hiding from a dragon. As well as this, we have been lucky enough for a T-Rex to make a nest for her precious eggs here.
As well as the big loose parts, I also offer the children a selection of smaller loose parts like the ones we offer inside. Here are some ways the children use them:
Mud kitchen – the children have continuous access to loose parts in the mud kitchen. We attached mushroom containers to the fence at child height using cable ties and fill them up for the children to access independently.
Transient art – this is a good activity to explore all year round as what you offer the children can change with the seasons. Take a close look at what your children create – here I noticed the children making a pattern and asked them what they were doing. One replied, ‘I’m making a pattern like we did in maths. Look, leaf, bark, leaf, bark!’ This is a great example of child-led learning where he has explored and embedded knowledge and skills taught during carpet sessions through his play using loose parts.
Shardi Vaziri is the assistant head teacher at Tottenhall Infant School in Enfield, North London and an educational consultant specialising in loose parts and sustainable provision. Contact her at: earlyyearsonashoestring@gmail.com
