Pasta and rubber bands, shaving foam and foil… there are hundreds of affordable, multi-purpose play and learning materials hiding in plain sight—right there in your local supermarket.

We believe toys aren’t a luxury item. In fact, some of the best “toys” aren’t toys at all. Explore the possibilities of using loose parts to enhance creativity.

Sticks, string, mud, puddles and stones—these have always been childhood favourites across cultures and generations. Take away the tablets and devices, and give children the freedom to play outdoors. Chances are, they’ll run to the nearest puddle, pick up a stick, and start stirring mud or flinging pebbles. With loose parts, the potential for imaginative play is endless.

Unlike nature’s freebies, store-bought toys and art materials can be expensive. But you don’t need to break the bank. Pop into your local discount store (in Australia, they’re often called “Two Dollar Shops”) and you’ll find a goldmine of creative tools for early learning. Look for loose parts that can be creatively used in various activities.

Here’s a go-to list of budget-friendly items for hands-on, sensory-rich activities with children aged 0–6:

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🛒 Supermarket Supplies for Play and Learning

1. Flour

Soft, tactile and versatile—flour is the base for salt dough and sensory play.
Classic salt dough recipe: 1 cup flour, ½ cup coloured water, ½ cup salt, 1 tbsp oil.
Want puffy paint? Mix flour, salt, and water, pour into sauce bottles, add food colouring.
Want cloud dough? Mix flour with baby oil. Simple magic made possible with loose parts.

2. Vegetable Oil

Key for dough-making. Mix with water for science fun—oil and water never mix!

3. Salt

A sensory tub staple. Use it for magic bottles, art experiments, or “drawing trays” with brushes.
Try: coloured salt (crushed chalk + salt), icy salt play, or painting with salt on watercolours. All these activities can be enriched with loose parts.

4. Baking Soda & Vinegar

Perfect for fizzy fun. Add baking soda to a balloon, vinegar to a bottle—watch the balloon inflate! Incorporate other loose parts to make the activity more interactive.

5. Rice

Great for sensory bottles, art, or filling beanbags. Dye it for sorting or scooping.

6. Food Colouring

For colourful dough, paints, foam, ice, and sensory tubs. Add pipettes and explore colour mixing.

7. Pasta

For art, noise makers, and fine motor play (bracelets, necklaces, sorting).
Cook spaghetti halfway, dip in paint, and make spaghetti art! Use loose parts like pasta to expand creative possibilities.

8. Jelly

Tactile, edible fun. Freeze small animal figurines in jelly for sensory discovery.
Use jelly powder for messy finger painting.

9. Cornstarch

The base for a non-Newtonian fluid. Add water and watch it act like a solid and a liquid.
Cook with water and soda to make silky finger paints—safe for the youngest learners.

10. Tea

Steeped tea makes beautiful paint. Dried tea is a calming sensory material. Herbal teas are great for discovery and sensory exploration, plus just for afternoon tea. Loose parts like dried tea leaves can provide additional layers of sensory experience.

11. Spices

Spices offer rich scents for sensory play and real-life kitchen roleplay.
Add ginger or pepper to your dough for extra sensory exploration.

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👩‍🏫 As educators, we know that meaningful learning doesn’t come from expensive toys—it grows out of exploration, sensory wonder, and open-ended materials. Loose parts play a crucial role in this process.

Next time you’re in the grocery store, think like a child and shop like a teacher.