Your trash is our treasure! ‘Loose parts play’ at KAS

12th November 24

Young girl enjoys loose parts play with a spoon and ice cube tray outside. She wears a black jumper and earmuffs, and items including tyres, a bucker and wooden pallets are in the background.

Here at KAS, we are always keen to receive any items our Lower School students could make use of during ‘loose parts play’. As such, we welcome donations from any members of our KAS community. Please do think of us if you are having a clearout!

Loose parts play is a play-based approach to learning that promotes curiosity and creative thinking. It makes learning fun, allowing children to experiment and figure things out independently. Children’s creativity is maximised when they can Three young boys play outdoors. They are jumping over a 'car' they have made out of milk crates and old typres.construct dens, mix potions, build obstacle courses, design new worlds, invent games, and make vehicles… the list is endless.

This approach also gives new life to everyday materials, saving them from ending up in landfill – making it great for the planet, too.

So if you are having a sort-out, please think of us before throwing away old items – your trash really is our treasure! Here are a few examples of the sorts of items we need:

  • Quick-drying materials such as organza, fleece blankets and shower curtains
  • Saucepans, bowls, spoons, cookie cutters and containers
  • Buckets, spades
  • Tarpaulins tents or tunnels
  • Wooden pallets – tough ones in good condition
  • Tough buckets
  • Cable drums or reels
  • Tubes, guttering and funnels, hosepipe, bore pipes and other pipes
  • Ramps and lengths of plastics and other materials such as corrugated transparent plastic
  • Nets
  • Tyres: bicycle, motorbike, go-kart and car tyres
  • Large shallow trays
  • Wheelbarrows
  • Old suitcases or wheeled shopping bags
  • Baskets for collecting and transporting
  • Steering wheels
  • Computer keyboards
  • Dressing up clothes
  • Portable seats and things to sit on, such as aluminium bubble wrap, camping mats and gardening mats
  • Cardboard boxes and tubes

The list isn’t exhaustive, so please do bring in anything that you think may be useful. We do a risk assessment on all items to ensure they are safe to use and then let the children’s imagination do the rest.

Donations can be dropped off anytime at the Lower School office. We look forward to receiving your rubbish!

Graphic that reads "YOur trash is our treasure! Donations needed for Loose Parts Play. Drop of anytime at the Lower School office". Illustraions of a wooden spoon, hosepipe, toilet rolls, a bucket and space, cookie cutters, frying plan, computed keyboard and man carrying a box marked 'donations' also feature.

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