Wild Hearts & Loose Parts

02/27/2024

The power of loose parts play lies in its simplicity and the boundless creativity it unlocks in children. It’s an invitation to observe, to wonder, and to create. It's about making space for joy, wonder, and the pure delight of discovery. Let’s nurture our children’s creativity and connection with nature. Share your own loose parts play adventures using and join a community dedicated to bringing more imaginative and unstructured play into our children’s lives. 🌈💫Your backyard is not just an outdoor space; it’s a canvas for creativity. Let’s paint it with the colors of play! 🎨🌳

02/13/2024

✨🌿Hey Wonderful Community! What is Loose Parts Play All About?🌿✨

It's all about providing children with various objects and materials that they can move, manipulate, control, and change while they play. Think stones, sticks, pine cones, leaves, and even recycled items like fabric scraps or old tires. The beauty of these elements? They're all found in nature or repurposed materials, making this play not only accessible but environmentally friendly. 🌱💡

👶🧠 Benefits of Outdoor Loose Parts Play:
1. Creativity and Imagination Skyrocket: When children are given the freedom to create anything they envision, there's no limit to their creativity. Castles, ships, or even imaginary worlds come to life!
2. Physical Development: Climbing, lifting, and building improve motor skills, balance, and coordination.
3. Problem-Solving Skills: Children learn to negotiate, collaborate, and think critically as they play and interact.
4. Connection to Nature: Playing outdoors helps children develop a lifelong appreciation for the environment.
5. Emotional Well-being: Free play in nature reduces stress and promotes happiness.

Let's encourage our little explorers to engage with the world around them in the most creative and enriching way possible. Share your experiences and favorite loose parts play ideas below! 🌟🍁

01/27/2024

Hey there, friends! Are you looking for fun and engaging ways to encourage loose parts, open-ended, and outdoor play? Look no further!
Did you know that playing with natural elements like leaves and sticks can enhance sensory development for your child? It's true! Nature provides an endless supply of materials that can spark your child's creativity and imagination.
So, why not let your child explore the wonders of nature? Ask them what their favorite natural plaything is. Maybe they love creating fairy houses out of twigs and leaves or building rock towers by the river. Whatever it is, encourage their curiosity and let them discover the world around them.
Remember, play is an essential part of a child's development. By providing them with natural materials to play with, you're fostering their love for the outdoors while also promoting their cognitive and physical growth. So, get outside and have some fun!

🌲 Remember, the best adventures often start with the simplest of things. 🌲

10/27/2023

Hey friends, I (Crystal) am taking over the Wonderplay account for my new adventure, Wild Hearts & Loose Parts. It's similar in nature to Wonderplay, as I will be sharing lots of ideas and inspiration for open-ended and outdoor play. I hope you will continue to follow me!

10/19/2021

Our Halloween Wonderboxes are a huge hit! Each kit includes glow-in-the-dark paint, coloured rice, Halloween playdough, a Halloween cookie cutter, fizzing powder, Halloween loose parts, tweezers, a pipette and blacklight. $40.00 - pick up only! We have 8 boxes left! Email [email protected] to order a ‘spooky’ box for your kiddos. kits

04/28/2021

04/07/2021

We love our outdoor adventures, especially when we find friends under the rocks and old branches. These little critters almost came home with us but I was able to convince my daughter to leave them in the woods🪵 where they would thrive and be happy. Spring is such an exciting time of the year! We will take our experiences today and use them to do some drawing/writing tomorrow.

03/20/2021

I don't know about anyone else, but boy do I love spring! It feels like the world around us is blossoming into something fresh and beautiful! I enjoy watching all the people come out from the slumbers of winter. I love the smells and the colours. I love the feeling of the spring breeze and I love watching the children laugh and play. It has been a long winter, and a long year for that matter. I am definitely welcoming this spring with wide open arms.

03/14/2021

Playing with rice and acorns while working on our counting and fine motor skills this morning!

03/06/2021

🎉SNEAK PEAK!🤫

Our newest Wonderboxes arrive next week and we are excited!

Playing with slime can be an awesome (sometimes messy) sensory experience that supports fine motor development.

Some play suggestions:
*add glitter or food colouring and let your child mix it in
*use cookie cutters to create fun shapes
*add loose parts like buttons or beads and let your kiddo find them and pull them out
*or just give them the slime and let them explore (while you catch up on your favourite show, sip your 🔥 drink or do something for yourself)

All of our Wonderboxes are created with children AND parents in mind using years of observation of our students and our own children. The activities are meant to be mostly independent because we know how difficult it can be to find guilt-free time ⏲️ to do something for ourselves without the use of a screen.