Highland children's charity CALA is seeking donations of loose parts from local businesses to support play and learning across our childcare settings, family services, Play & Learn groups, and pop-up play activities throughout the Highlands.

Loose parts are open-ended materials that children can move, combine, adapt and transform through imaginative play. Examples include crates, tyres, pipes, fabric, pallets, cardboard tubes, natural materials and other reusable items. Research shows that loose parts encourage creativity, curiosity, communication, problem-solving, confidence and physical activity while creating rich, engaging play environments. 

By partnering with local businesses, CALA can give safe, reusable materials a second life, reducing waste and diverting items from landfill while creating exciting opportunities for children and families to play, build, explore and learn together. Loose parts also demonstrate that some of the best play experiences come from low-cost or no-cost materials, helping families discover affordable ways to support children's learning and development while easing pressures associated with the cost of living.

Donations will be shared across CALA services, extending their impact to communities throughout the Highlands. Through childcare, family support, Play & Learn sessions and community events, loose parts help children develop imagination, creativity, resilience, teamwork and lifelong learning skills through the simple power of play.

In summer 2026 alone, CALA provided free, inclusive pop-up play opportunities for more than 4,000 children at events including the Black Isle Show, Belladrum, The Gathering and in rural Highland communities.

Examples of Suitable Donations

Construction & DIY

• Timber offcuts (sand and splinter-free)
• Wooden cable reels
• PVC pipes and tubing
• Guttering
• Large cardboard tubes
• Pallets
• Rope and netting

Warehouses & Manufacturing

• Crates and storage boxes
• Plastic reels and spools
• Buckets and containers
• Cable drums
• Fabric offcuts
• Clean packaging materials

Garages & Transport

• Clean tyres
• Wheel trims
• Traffic cones
• Large plastic containers
• Toolboxes (without tools)

Farms & Rural Businesses

• Straw bales
• Wooden crates
• Buckets and tubs
• Tree stumps
• Logs and branches
• Pinecones and bark

Garden Centres & Landscapers

• Plant pots
• Bamboo canes
• Pebbles and stones
• Wood slices and logs
• Bark and mulch
• Seed trays

Offices & Retail

• Cardboard boxes
• Tubes and packaging
• Fabric samples
• Wallpaper sample books
• Corks
• Plastic tubs

Hospitality & Catering

• Pots and pans
• Muffin tins
• Metal trays
• Wooden spoons
• Colanders
• Whisks
• Measuring jugs

These materials offer enormous play value, allowing children to build, create, balance, transport, invent, experiment and collaborate in hundreds of different ways. Open-ended resources give children control over their own play, encouraging creativity, exploration, discovery and self-directed learning. 

Together, we can turn everyday materials into extraordinary opportunities for Highland children and families.