Learning by Playing with Loose Parts

At your child’s birthday party, every other gift from a friend is a 174-piece Lego building kit! A nightmare, right? All those little pieces scattered all over the play room or all through the house! But wait! Those Lego building kits just might be based on a very sound educational theory that we use at The Academy.

It’s called “The Theory of Loose Parts.” If Legos were based on this theory, the theory would say that the more variables (Lego piece) there are in an environment (the play room), the greater the creativity, inventiveness, and discovery. (The theory doesn’t mention anything about cleaning up!)

Loose Parts at The Academy

At The Academy preschools in Nashville, the theory of loose parts fits right in with our philosophy of learning through hands-on activities. When we give the children a variety of items, such as wood, plastic bottles, cloth, string, coffee cans, pipe cleaners, tape, cardboard, coffee filters, paper plates, glue, etc., they make some very creative things. All the while they are using their imaginations freely, improving their motor skills, and building self-confidence.

Unlike the pressure to create a “specific” thing with a Lego building kit, when using the theory of loose parts, there is no expected or implied result. The play is open-ended. For example, we don’t give a child a box of loose parts and say, “Can you make an airplane with these parts?” The child is free to explore, experiment, and discover on his own.

The Academy Wants Our Children to Be All They Can Be

One other way we serve our community of families each year is with Kindergarten Boot Camp. This is a summer program that will prepare your child with the skills needed to have a wonderful experience in kindergarten. Request more information today.

The Academy is here to provide you with the best child care and educational experience possible. From our award-winning Frog Street Press curriculum, to our state-of-the art classrooms, to our fun and exciting playgrounds, we care.

Make sure to check out all of our preschools in Franklin and preschools in Brentwood on our locations pages. We also have preschool locations in Hendersonville, Murfreesboro, and Spring Hill/Thompson’s Station.