{"id":31,"date":"2018-01-01T18:37:30","date_gmt":"2018-01-01T18:37:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.playfulsolutionsindy.com\/blog\/?p=31"},"modified":"2018-09-21T12:55:32","modified_gmt":"2018-09-21T12:55:32","slug":"loose-parts-in-a-nutshell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.playfulsolutionsindy.com\/blog\/2018\/01\/01\/loose-parts-in-a-nutshell\/","title":{"rendered":"Loose Parts In a Nutshell"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cThis walnut is tricky.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst I get it stuck. Then it breaks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did it! Look! I see the seed!?!\u201d<\/p>\n

Cracking nuts is tricky business, especially when you\u2019re only 2 years old, but it\u2019s a challenge my friends embraced with joy. Of course, they still found plenty of other work when their hands needed a rest from the nutcracker.<\/p>\n

They shared stories:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m cooking the nuts. Mix. Mix. Mix.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
\n\u201cThis one looks looks a turtle. This one is too! They are swimming together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis one is a crocodile…or maybe a frog RIBBIT! RIBBIT! RIBBIT!\u201d<\/p>\n

They made discoveries:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cI hear the nut shaking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis shell smells different?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see a heart inside!\u201d<\/p>\n

They found differences:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cThe walnuts are BIG! The hazelnuts are little.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe almonds fall down. The hazelnuts stand up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis one is brown, dark brown. This one is not.\u201d<\/p>\n

We often view skill acquisition from a top-down approach (\u201cThis is how I can teach children to\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span> \u201d, for example). The truth is, children are constantly extending their own skills by simply exploring the world around them. To my friends, an invitation with mixed nuts is a fun way to play, but they are also practicing:<\/p>\n