As many households in the region begin spring cleaning, unwanted items and clutter are often discovered. These objects can be given a second life in education settings. Conestoga’s Child Development and Education Studies programs are collecting loose parts to support hands-on learning and imaginative play in classrooms and community programs.
Loose parts are everyday items that can be used in endless ways by children to build, create and explore. The school is looking for items such as buttons, beads, bottle caps, fabric scraps, yarn, ribbon, wood pieces, corks, shells, nuts, bolts, springs, washers, cardboard or PVC tubes, small boxes and natural materials (pinecones, stones, sticks), as well as gardening pots.
Additionally, the programs are looking for functioning overhead projectors and lamps. “The lamps help our students and employees safely navigate nap rooms by providing gentle and diffused lighting without disturbing sleeping children,” explained Carolyn Finlayson, Chair, Child Development and Education Studies. “Projectors can be used in multiple ways, including shadow play.” The first person to deliver a functioning overhead projector will receive a Starbucks gift card as a thank-you. Those who donate projectors are asked to include a name and email address at drop-off to receive the reward.
Many items, even if not immediately obvious, can be used for creative projects for students and children alike. Students often have to create projects centred on play and come up with ideas for using tangible items to teach and interact with different age groups. “Pinecones, for example, can be used for a teachable activity about seeds,” said Finlayson.
But most materials don’t need to have an obvious link to a lesson; students often discover entirely new ways to use them. “We received rejected cuts from the Woodworking Centre of Ontario that were meant for a cabinet. The pieces weren’t up to the woodworking students' standards, but they were sturdy and could interlock. A student repurposed the wood pieces for a limbo game, marking how low participants could go.”
During the previous drive held in fall 2025, over 100 items were donated. “We had an amazing response from people. We filled an entire office,” said Finlayson. “We are so grateful to anyone who donated.”
Items can be dropped off from Monday to Wednesday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. at the Community Services Office (Doon Campus, A-Wing, Room 2A600) until April 15.
Conestoga’s School of Community Services is a leader in translating students’ passions for working with people and making a difference in the community into successful careers in human services and community safety. The college offers a suite of programs dedicated to early learning and childcare. CourseCompare has consistently ranked Conestoga’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs among the best across Canada.