If you've spent time around early childhood educators, you've probably heard the term "loose parts play." But what does it actually mean?

In 1971, British architect Simon Nicholson coined the phrase to describe "open-ended materials that can be used and manipulated in many ways." Think buttons, fabric scraps, sticks, rocks, and cardboard boxes.

We recently connected with Dr Ozlem Cankaya, an associate professor at MacEwan University's Early Childhood Curriculum Studies Program, who has been exploring this theory in her research. She discovered Makedo last year and was impressed by how our tool system allows kids to build and iterate independently, without adult intervention. She even featured Makedo tools on CBC News Edmonton in a segment about raising creative children.

In her latest article, "Loose parts play encourages spontaneous science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) behaviours" (published in Communications Psychology, 2025), Dr Cankaya and her colleagues explore how everyday materials are actually better catalysts for early STEM learning than traditional, fixed-function toys.

"Loose parts are items and materials that children and young people can move, adapt, control, change and manipulate within their play. They provide a high level of creativity and choice, as there are endless possibilities for how they can be played with."
— Oxfordshire Play Association

Loose Parts Unlock Natural STEM Thinking

Dr Cankaya's research shows that open-ended materials, such as cardboard, naturally encourage children to engage in science, engineering, and problem-solving. Unlike store-bought toys with a single purpose, loose parts invite kids to figure things out for themselves.

When children engage with these materials, they're actively hypothesising, testing, building, and problem-solving. Dr Cankaya found that construction was the most common form of STEM play, and when kids build, they exercise critical executive functions like planning, critical thinking, and cognitive flexibility.

Makedo and Loose Parts: The Perfect Match

According to Dr Cankaya, "Makedo can elevate children's loose parts play and STEM exploration while using versatile materials, along with the cardboard they have."

Here's how our tool system aligns with loose-parts play research:

• From "Fixed" to "Flexible" Play: Makedo transforms cardboard into flexible construction sets, shifting kids from passive consumers to active creators.
• Engineering Through Construction: The study found that building structures is the primary way children express spontaneous STEM behaviours. Makedo makes construction accessible by bridging the gap between imagination and real engineering techniques.
• The Power of Possibilities: Dr Cankaya emphasises that materials with multiple "affordances" create higher motivation. Makedo doesn't dictate a single build—the child, not the toy, directs the play.
• Building Executive Function: Loose parts play requires children to hold multiple ideas in their heads and explore through trial and error. Using Makedo to connect cardboard requires the same cognitive skills: planning the build, understanding how joints work, and troubleshooting when a tower tips over.
• Safe Autonomy: For play to be truly beneficial, Dr Cankaya argues, it must be child-directed. Makedo's Safe-Saw technology and child-sized ergonomics allow kids as young as four to cut and connect cardboard safely and without adult intervention.

  This independence is exactly what the research says matters most.

The Bottom Line

Dr Cankaya's research confirms what we believe: with simple materials and the right tools, children's creativity and potential are endless. With cardboard and Makedo, kids don't just play: they plan, experiment, build, fail, rebuild, and learn all while having fun in the process.

So the next time you see a cardboard box headed for recycling, think twice. You might be looking at a child's next rocket ship, castle, or robot costume. And with Makedo in their hands, they'll be the engineer who figures out how to build it.