5 Reasons Large Loose Part Play Matters

When people hear the term “loose parts,” they often picture small object like buttons, shells, rocks, bottle caps, and other small materials. While these materials support creativity and fine motor development, they are only one part of the picture.

Large loose parts invite a different kind of learning. They ask children to move their bodies, work with others, test ideas at a larger scale (with greater risk), and create immersive play experiences. Whether children are arranging branches outside to build a shelter or throwing a sheet over dining room chairs to create a fort at home, many similar learning opportunities unfold.

Here are five reasons why your child should experience large loose part play.

1. Large loose parts support whole body development

Large loose parts require children to lift, carry, push, pull, and balance. When a child

drags a log across the yard, carries a tire with a friend, or adjusts the position of a chair to make a fort more stable, they are developing strength, coordination, balance, and spatial awareness.

These movements are not separate from learning. They help children understand where their bodies are in space and how their actions impact the world around them. When children use their bodies with intention, they are also building the foundation for focus, self regulation, and risk assessment.

This is the kind of movement children naturally seek when they are building with couch cushions, crates, tires, or large pieces of fabric.

2. Big materials encourage planning and problem solving

Large loose parts slow children down in a good way. Before picking up something big

or heavy like a log, chair, or box, children often pause to think about where they are

bringing it and what they plan to use it for. They test ideas, adjust their plans, and try again when something does not work.

You can see this when children are building a fort, for example, as they carry and arrange the couch cushions and dining room chairs, and figure out where a sheet needs support to stop it from collapsing. These moments are filled with problem solving, prediction, and reflection.

3. Collaboration becomes part of the play

Many large loose parts cannot be managed by one child alone. A long branch, a heavy board, or a wide piece of fabric often requires more than one set of hands.

This naturally creates opportunities for communication and cooperation. Children ask for help, explain their ideas, listen to others, and negotiate next steps. You might hear things like “Hold it there,” “Let’s move it closer,” or “What if we try this instead?”

Unlike assigned group work, this collaboration emerges because the play requires it. The materials themselves invite teamwork.

4. Construction play leads to dramatic play

As children build with large loose parts, their creations often become the setting for

stories and role play. A simple structure made of branches and fabric becomes a campsite. Chairs and blankets turn into a house or a store. A large box becomes a plane used to travel to far away places.

Children begin to assign roles, create rules, and develop narratives based on what they have built. The dramatic play grows directly out of the construction process, making it meaningful and sustained.

This blend of building and storytelling supports language development, imagination, and social understanding.

5. Large loose parts build confidence and resilience

Working with large materials can feel challenging at first. Structures fall. Ideas need to change. Children experience frustration and then figure out what to do next.

Each time a child tries again, asks for help, or adjusts their plan, they build confidence in their ability to solve problems. Completing a structure together, no matter how simple, brings a strong sense of accomplishment.

These experiences help children learn that challenges are part of the process and that their ideas are worth exploring.

As you can see, there are many benefits of large loose part play in the development of children. That is why I wanted the next book in my Amelia’s Loose Part Art series to showcase this type of play in ways that would get children excited to give it a try themselves.

Introducing Amelia’s Loose Part Art: A Night at the Campsite.

In this story, Amelia explores large loose parts in nature and at home, using materials such as branches, logs, fabric, and everyday items to construct creations that invite movement, make-believe and fun. Through her experiences, children can see how big ideas can come to life through movement, teamwork, and imagination. The story helps model what large loose part play can look like in real settings, making it easier for children to envision themselves creating something big too.

By seeing large loose part play represented through the story, children are gently encouraged to experiment, problem solve, and build in their own ways, whether that is outdoors in natural spaces or indoors using what they already have around them.

Amelia’s Loose Part Art: A Night at the Campsite will be available for preorder beginning in February 2026, with the official release planned for May 2026.