In an effort to understand how loose parts inearly learning environments benefit children’splay and development, through observations ofpreschool children in a rural outdoor naturalenvironment, this study examined behavioursthat children exhibited as they used loose parts.Children exhibited a range of positive socialbehaviours, complex verbal and nonverbalbehaviours, and various types of risk taking intheir play. The findings suggest that childrendo not explicitly exhibit stereotypical gender orage-exclusion behaviours while using the looseparts. The results would suggest that increasingchildren’s opportunities to use loose parts in anearly years outdoor environment will supporttheir various aspects of development in positiveways.