Children's Loose Parts Play Project (Phase 2)

The proposed pilot study aims to address this critical gap by exploring 30 3- to 5-year-old children’s indoor LPP behaviour through qualitative and quantitative data collection and quantitative analyses. Using a pre-experimental design (12), children will be observed while playing with (I) open-ended materials (loose parts Box A) or (II) open-ended materials (loose parts Box B) or (III) single-/limited-purpose toys (control group). Our study aims to document crucial relationships between Loose Parts Play and children’s cognitive development while considering key social determinants such as gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and maternal education.

Phase 3: Knowledge Dissemination

to build relationships with the students and community partners in January, February, and March 2023.

Community Engaged Learning Project Leadership for Delivery Quality.

First-year BECCS students created informative and engaging brochures on various child development topics, aiming to benefit community partners, children, and families. The project's structure and goals were designed for undergraduate students to collaborate closely with community partners specialized in early childhood education and family support. They produced brochures addressing various child development issues, providing valuable information to parents, caregivers, educators, and others involved in child upbringing and welfare. This project will involve a team of students ensuring the quality of each brochure delivered to the community organizations. 

Loose Parts Play - Parent Child Play

Examining parent-child play types, duration, and engagement with loose parts: How parental income, educational attainment, and children's age and cognitive functioning shape loose parts play LPP is defined as children’s engagement with open-ended and interactive materials (e.g., acorns, pipes, tires) used all at once and is widely claimed to be a foundation for developing creativity, divergent thinking, and problem-solving. Yet, despite widespread recommendations, empirical research on children’s engagement in and benefits from LPP is lacking. Our research addresses this omission by observing 75 3- to 5-year-old children/parent dyads engaged in indoor LPP. These pairs will be divided into two equal groups and assigned to play with either (I) loose parts or (II) single-/limited-purpose toys (control). Using an experimental design incorporating qualitative and quantitative data collection and analyses, each pair will be observed in two unstructured play sessions using the same toys to identify play types, duration, and engagement levels. We will recruit participants from our partner community organizations who serve socioeconomically, culturally, and linguistically diverse families and children relevant to Canadian diversity. As part of our evaluative process, we will incorporate parent reflection on their play engagement into our evaluations and assessment.