Signature workshop · Loose Parts
Loose parts are open-ended, movable materials — stones, fabric, tubes, corks, shells, buttons — that children can combine and redesign in countless ways. Armstrong's DECAL-approved Loose Parts training, led by Anna Camille Hampton, shows educators how to source, set up, and observe loose parts on a real budget so an ordinary classroom becomes an inquiry lab. Available in person across metro Atlanta, live-online, or self-paced from $19; live sessions run 1–8 hours from $35 per teacher and count toward Georgia's annual 10 DECAL clock hours.
Loose parts are open-ended, movable materials — stones, fabric, tubes, corks, shells, buttons — that children can combine, redesign, and use in countless ways. The concept comes from architect Simon Nicholson's loose-parts theory: the more variable the materials, the more inventiveness and inquiry they invite.
They turn an ordinary classroom into an open-ended thinking environment — and most of what you need, you already own.
Open-ended materials invite more thinking, because the child decides what each piece becomes — play is research. Loose parts connect directly to children's schemas: a child exploring transporting or enclosing finds endless possibility in a basket of corks and tubes.
They also embody the Reggio principle that the environment is the third teacher — a well-provisioned room does some of the teaching for you.
You don't need a budget to begin. Pinecones, fabric scraps, bottle caps, wooden rings, tubes, shells, and stones are all loose parts. The training shows teachers how to spot the loose parts already in their building, sort and store them, and rotate them to sustain interest.
The session is hands-on: educators build provocations with real materials, then step back to observe inquiry instead of directing the play. The focus is sourcing on a real budget, safe set-up, and reading what children do.
Teachers wanting open-ended, low-cost materials that drive inquiry; directors refreshing classrooms; and family-care providers. It pairs naturally with the Rethinking Infant Spaces training for younger rooms.
In this workshop
Every session is hands-on and grounded in real classrooms — teachers leave with practice they can use the next day, not just vocabulary.
Quick answers
Short, direct answers to the questions educators and directors ask most.
Loose parts are open-ended, movable materials — stones, fabric, tubes, corks, shells, buttons — that children can combine, redesign, and use in countless ways. The concept comes from architect Simon Nicholson's loose-parts theory: the more variable the materials, the more inventiveness and inquiry they invite. They turn an ordinary classroom into an open-ended thinking environment.
Set up a loose-parts area by offering sorted, accessible, open-ended materials in clear containers at child height, with space to combine and transport them. Start with what you already have, rotate materials to sustain interest, and observe rather than direct. Armstrong's Loose Parts training walks teachers through sourcing, storing, and provisioning on a real budget.
Loose parts can be used safely with toddlers when materials are sized to avoid choking hazards, supervised, and matched to the age group — larger, fewer pieces for younger children, more varied collections as children grow. Armstrong's training covers age-appropriate selection, supervision, and safe storage for both toddler and preschool rooms.
Yes. Armstrong Educational Services offers a DECAL-approved Loose Parts training led by Anna Camille Hampton — in person across metro Atlanta, live-online, or as a self-paced CEU course from $19. Live sessions run 1–8 hours, start at $35 per teacher, and count toward Georgia's annual 10 DECAL clock hours.
Formats & pricing
Live in-person is anchored at $35 per teacher per hour, live-online at $25, on a 1–8 hour decay curve (a 3-hour session is about $80 per head), with a $280 session minimum.
$35/ teacher / hour
On-site across metro Atlanta and the Carolinas, 1–8 hours. Per-teacher pricing drops as the group grows; $280 session minimum.
$25/ teacher / hour
The same live session over Zoom — about 30% below in person — 1–8 hours on the same group + multi-hour discounts.
$19/ 1 CEU hour
Take it anytime, no live session — includes a downloadable workbook and a DECAL certificate on completion. See the self-paced catalog.
Add extra time for questions
Extend a live session with a group Q&A block: +$8 per head for 30 minutes or +$15 per head for 60 minutes. Framed as group reflection for the whole team — not 1:1 coaching.
DECAL CEU certificate
Add a DECAL CEU certificate to a live session for +$5 per head (included free in the self-paced course), counting toward each educator's annual 10 Georgia clock hours.
See your exact price in about a minute
The live calculator builds a per-teacher quote from your format, length, and group size — multi-hour and group discounts applied automatically. Build your quote.
Frequently asked questions
Ready when you are
Build a per-teacher quote in about a minute, or tell Camille about your team and she'll recommend the right format and length.
