CHCECE022 - Open Ended Materials and Loose Parts

[Mel7]

Hello,

I am in the middle of researching for the promoting creativity powerpoint. I am having trouble understanding the difference between open ended materials and loose parts as I need to define both of them. I have found a defintion but it comes up for both of them when I search, I will write it below:

"Open ended materials are items with no directions and can be used by themselves or with other materials. They can be carried, lined up, redesigned, taken apart, moved and put back together in multiple ways. The child determines what materials are used and how to use them"

Loose parts has the same definition that I have been able to find.

Can anyone help ?

Thank you

Melissa

[Lorina]

Loose Parts

In a play, loose parts are materials that can be moved, carried, combined, redesigned, lined up, and taken apart and put back together in multiple ways. They are materials with no specific set of directions that can be used alone or combined with other materials.

Example:

stones
stumps
sand
gravel
fabric
twigs
wood
pallets
balls
buckets
baskets
crates
boxes
logs
rope
tyres
shells and
seedpods

Open Ended Material

Open ended materials enables children to play freely. They are objects that have no rules to follow, use or function. Raw materials that can be used to build or to create or to combine to make something new.

Example:

crayons
markers
playdough
sand
collage
paint
fingerpaint
clay
silly putty

I think that loose parts and open ended materials are basically the same...

,
Lorina

[Mel7]

Thank you Lorina, big help. I knew they were relatively the same thing with very small difference.

[Lorina]

Yeah little confusing that question since it's so similar!

,
Lorina