Amelia’s Loose Part Art  was always meant to be a series. It had to be. Loose parts play is not simple or one-dimensional. It is a theory filled with nuance, trust, risk-taking, creativity, and problem-solving. Over time, I began noticing that many children were arriving at school without the foundational skills needed to fully engage in open-ended play. And because loose parts do not come with instructions, those gaps were becoming more visible. Play is supposed to come naturally to...

When people hear the term “loose parts,” they often picture small object like buttons, shells, rocks, bottle caps, and other small materials. While these materials support creativity and fine motor development, they are only one part of the picture. Large loose parts invite a different kind of learning. They ask children to move their bodies, work with others, test ideas at a larger scale (with greater risk), and create immersive play experiences. Whether children are arranging branches...

Every year, we all do it. We ask kids what they want for Christmas, they point to the flashiest thing in the flyer or ask for the latest thing they saw in an advertisement, and we dutifully wrap it up and put it under the tree. And then… by December 28, it’s buried under the couch because the novelty has worn off. As an educator and mother, I’ve watched this pattern play out again and again — both in classrooms and at home. Kids think  they want toys that light up, make sounds, or do...