Born to Tinker: Supporting Infant Learning with Loose Parts by Sophie Rayner-Grignon

Babies are natural engineers—and Loose Parts are their tools for exploration! This engaging session explores how Loose Parts play supports infant development, encourages sensory exploration, and fosters early cognitive and motor skills.

Join Infant Mental Health & Early Years Specialist, Sophie Rayner-Grignon to discover how to become an active, responsive partner in play with infants. You’ll dive into the curious minds of babies, unpack common barriers, and reframe your approach to infant play through a developmental and trauma-informed lens. Leave with practical ideas, real-world examples, and a curated collection of next-step resources to help educators, infants, and their communities engage meaningfully with Loose Parts.

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Describe the benefits of Loose Parts play for infant learning, development, and sensory exploration.
• Identify strategies for becoming an active and responsive partner in infant play using Loose Parts.
• Recognize and address common barriers to implementing Loose Parts play in early childhood settings.
• Apply practical strategies and setup ideas for safe, developmentally appropriate Loose Parts experiences.
• Reflect on personal beliefs and practices around infant play, and plan actionable next steps to integrate Loose Parts into daily routines.

RESOURCES

• Watch the full webinar here
• Check out the producer of ECI, Playground, the Child Care Management Software