I’ve been intrigued with children’s creative use of natural and man-made materials since my first years as an early childhood educator. Children count, sort and classify rocks, shells, seeds, buttons and other objects. They build intricate structures with blocks, boxes, twigs and tubes. Scraps of cloth become doll clothes, capes, flags and headdresses.

The Theory of Loose Parts is a term coined by Simon Nicholson, an architect who is often quoted, ‘In any environment, both the degree of inventiveness and creativity, and the possibility of discovery, are directly proportional to the number and kind of variables in it.’ This idea is an integral element of the Reggio Emilia Approach, an educational philosophy which incorporates the use of open-ended materials and the project approach to learning.

Loose Parts enhance outdoor play and learning as students work cooperatively to design and build, create and play. Take a look at how fascinating and inventive these spaces are!

There are similar projects in public parks in the U. S. where communities have donated scrap materials and Loose Parts and placed them in green spaces. Fort Worth has its own pop up park on the Southside created solely with donated materials.

Loose Parts are incorporated into Camp Fire’s Summer Day Camps in multiple ways to enhance youth’s creativity, curiosity and problem-solving skills – it’s called The Creation Station. Each week during Genius Hour students work individually or in groups on a project they select, research, design and create on their own. They are given various basic materials as they craft their project.

The Creation Station is filled with art materials such as various types, colors, and sizes of paper, beads, feathers, yarn, clay, sequins, felt, pens, pencils, markers, paint, buttons, cards, magazines and more for youth to create artwork of their own design throughout the day.

This summer we will expand our building and woodworking areas to establish a Tinker Station with items to disassemble and repurpose or rebuild. Our Science Station will have items from nature to examine and opportunities to experiment with simple tools.

Creativity comes naturally to children. It is our responsibility as adults to foster and inspire creative exploration by designing environments that support it, and Camp Fire programs do just that.

Cathy Halliday is the Vice President for the council’s Youth Development division at Camp Fire First Texas. Her specialties include early childhood education, afterschool program development and accreditation management. Cathy holds a Bachelor of Science from New York Institute of Technology in interdisciplinary studies.