DOUBLE TAP TO ZOOM WITH PHONE OR TABLET had introduced into the block area as provocations. After figuring out what to do with the materials and trying out their ideas to see what would happen, the boys used the cove molding and some blocks to create inclines and ramps. They experimented with making the marbles roll faster, travel up a ramp, go into con- tainers, and turn corners. The loose parts encouraged the boys to problem solve, make connections, and form relationships. Loose parts introduce novelty to settings and support cognitively high levels of play (Dodge and Frost 1986). They stimulate children to consider a range of possible uses and meanings for the parts. Once children have exhausted the pos- sibilities in one arrangement, they can rearrange the materials for another game or purpose. By continually rearranging the loose parts, they create settings that match their own skills. When they have plenty of loose parts to manipulate, chil- dren seldom become bored. Their problem-solving skills and imaginations are increased by multipurpose loose parts. They build knowledge through exploring the objects in the world around them (Kamii and DeVries 1993). Loose Parts Promote Divergent and Creative Thinking In a keynote speech on September 20, 2012, Paul Collard observed that young children today will work in careers that haven’t been invented yet. Similarly, Karl Fisch in a “Did You Know?” presentation stated, “We are currently preparing stu- dents for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that haven’t been invented, in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet” (Fisch and loose parts  7 COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL