'Loose parts' is a term coined by architect Simon Nicholson in the 1970s. His theory is that children's play environments should contain a wide variety of objects and materials. These objects and materials are not prescriptive – they can be almost anything! Loose parts can be things found in nature, things found in the home, they can be scraps of material or timber, or random objects that can be incorporated into children's play. Loose parts play allows children to develop their creativity and imagination and can benefit children in so many ways.

Positive guidance is a process of guiding children to develop healthy self-esteem, respect for themselves and others, and skills to manage an array of potential stressors. A positive approach includes considering the reasons for children’s challenging behaviour, not just looking at the behaviour itself. This is the difference between behaviour management strategies and positive guidance.  Behaviour management is telling us we need to manage a behaviour. Positive guidance, based on positive mutually respectful relationships between adults and children, is most likely to influence behaviour in constructive ways.