Doorways, typically overlooked as loose parts, hold immense potential for facilitating play and exploration among children. Remember, loose parts don’t have to be mobile—the term refers to variables in an environment with which people can interact.

The structure of a doorway, with its frame, door, and related hardware, provides an open-ended environment that sparks creativity and encourages interaction. Doorways symbolize transition and change, and children use them that way in their play. Doorways become magical portals, secret passages, makeshift stage entrances, time machines, and more, supporting children’s imaginative dramatic play scenarios and cooperative storytelling. Doorways also offer an opportunity for children to explore going through schema play.

As people move in and out, doorways also serve as focal points for social interactions, transitions, and the honing of self-regulation skills. At doorways, you see children excitedly running to greet a bestest friend when she walks into the room, anticipating the cold breeze as the door opens for a trip to a wintry playground, not melting down when Grandpa has to leave even though your heart is bursting and you want to cry.

Children are often herded away from them or told not to linger, but doorways provide a unique and often underestimated dimension to loose parts play. How can you make doorways more playful?

Doorways At Play

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