Rusty’s Outdoor Loose Parts Class is a 3-part online course for play-based early childhood educators, parents, and play advocates that teaches the ins and outs of adding Loose Parts to your outdoor environment to support children’s play and learning!
What are Loose Parts
How Loose Parts boost outdoor play and learning
What the benefits of Loose Parts are for whole child development
What the best kinds of Loose Parts are for outdoor use
What kinds of Natural Loose Parts you can use
What Loose Parts outside look like in action!
Best places to shop for Loose Parts
Where to find low-cost (and free!) Loose Parts in your community
How to repurpose existing materials for Loose Parts
How to tap the “power of the wishlist” to get donated Loose Parts
How to Grow your own Loose Parts!
All about Tires as Loose Parts
Mud Kitchens and Loose Parts
Best practices for setting up Loose Parts outside
Best ways to store Loose Parts outside
Important safety tips for Loose Parts outside
How to talk to licensing and parents about Loose Parts
How to start experimenting with Loose Parts outside
How to take your current Loose Parts play to the next level
You want to boost your children’s play and learning opportunities outdoors.
You want to learn the “must-have” Loose Parts for the outdoors.
You want to know how to safely use Loose Parts outdoors.
You want to find free and affordable loose parts sources in your community.
You want to take your mud kitchen to the next level!
You want to better communicate the benefits of Loose Parts with parents and licensing.
You would love to see fun Loose Parts ideas from around the world.
You would love to share and learn from other play-based educators using Loose Parts outside.
You want to continue to be amazed by the beauty and imagination of children’s play!
A: Yes! Absolutely! You will have access to a recording of each class in case you have to miss a class for any reason. (Or even if you didn’t miss a class and want to watch again!)
A: Yes! You can pay in 2 installments beginning when registration opens on August 28th.
A: Yes! Now is a perfect time to learn all about Loose Parts and gain confidence to give it a try! We’ll cover lots of great small first steps you can take to begin experimenting with using Loose Parts outside.
A: Absolutely! It is always fun to dive deeper into subjects you love. You’ll get to connect with other like-minded experienced folks like you who love Loose Parts play outside. Your new classmates will appreciate hearing your voice and experiences in the class conversations. Plus you might learn a few new ideas and tricks!
A: No problem! We’ll talk all about it in class! You’ll learn where to purchase great Loose Parts, places in your community to get free and low-cost loose parts, how to repurpose existing materials into Loose Parts and how to tap the “power of the wishlist” to get donated Loose Parts!
A: Yes! You can do Loose Parts outside even if you have a teeny yard, share a yard with others, or even have no yard at all! I’ll be teaching Loose Parts strategies that work in all spaces, big and small!
A: 3 Sundays in September: September 10, 17, 24 — 6-7pm EST
“Rusty is a never ending source of innovation, creativity, inspiration and fun to the core.”
“It was eye opening!”
“I liked that Rusty made space/time for conversation amongst each other and to the broader group, balanced with lecture based curriculum.”
“My ah-ha moment was realizing my fears limit the children.”
“Thanks, Rusty, for all you do and say to inspire us to be better teachers!”
“I’m going to let go of my FEAR!! And let my kids get dirty and take risks!!”
“I plan on adding more loose parts to my outdoor play and continue to say more Yes’ instead of no’s.”
“I will be doing the risk/benefit analyses and also will be looking into the playworkers’ manifesto/other documents. The course gave me some great key starting points in further research. I also record/reflect after each session, now.”
Rusty Keeler is a natural playscape designer and author who has traveled the world for over 30 years designing natural play environments and speaking about the beauty and benefits of saying “yes’ to children’s play.
Described as a cross between Fred Rogers and Jerry Garcia, Rusty is a frequent keynote speaker and author of multiple books on play and playscapes including his latest book Adventures in Risky Play: What is Your Yes? Rusty is the current vice president of the USA chapter of the International Play Association.
Rusty has toured loose parts adventure playgrounds around the world from Tasmania to Tennessee and has worked with early childhood centers, schools, zoos, parks and private residences to use Loose Parts to boost play-based learning and whole child development.
Loose Parts play projects that Rusty has led or been a part of: the Hands-on-Nature Anarchy Zone at Ithaca Children’s Garden, Reimagining Recess project for elementary schools, loose parts pop-up play for community parks, and the Loose Parts art and design station at the Autism Nature Trail at Letchworth State park, among many others.
Rusty has led Loose Parts workshops and classes around the world including building natural material sculptures and fairy huts in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Indonesia, and across North America.
Rusty lives with his family beside a creek in Ithaca with a backyard full of straw bales, plants, treehouses, tires, balls, hoola hoops, bubbles, and lots more.
