Local educator and author Angela Odusanya is bringing her popular children’s series Amelia’s Loose Part Art off the page and into the community this Friday, and she’s doing it in a way that blends literacy, creativity, and outdoor play right at the beach.
Odusanya, best known for her three‑book series and its Easter spin‑off, says the idea for the books grew directly out of her years working in kindergarten classrooms. “I did a lot of loose part artwork with my students,” she explained. But over time, she noticed children weren’t using loose parts the way educators intend - freely, imaginatively, and without prescribed rules.
Loose parts, she says, are simply everyday objects that have no purpose until a child gives them one. “If I am telling you you’re gonna use these things a certain way, they are not classified as loose parts,” she said. “But if children get to follow their imagination, that is when we’re using that definition.”
That philosophy inspired her to write a book that models creative problem‑solving for kids - something she couldn’t find on store shelves. She drafted her first story while completing her Master of Teaching, eventually building the series around Amelia, a young girl who uses loose parts to solve small problems in her world.
A beach‑side storybook walk - a first for Barrie
One of the books, A Day at the Beach, is now the centrepiece of a storybook walk Friday (August 28) at Tyndale Park. Odusanya partnered with the City of Barrie to bring the project to life on the final day the beaches are open.
Storybook walks are common on hiking trails, but Odusanya says she hasn’t found one located directly at a beach - a perfect match for the book’s theme. “A day at the beach and having it at the beach, it just makes perfect sense,” she said. Families can read each panel along the path and then immediately try the creative challenges woven into the story.
Those prompts encourage kids to notice small problems around them and use loose parts to build solutions - whether decorating sandcastles or inventing something entirely new. “I think it’s just inspiring kids to notice things around them and to find a way to contribute to…making the community feel a part of that community,” she said.
More than a one‑day outing
The event is part of the City of Barrie’s nature play days, which have run all summer and feature a trailer full of loose parts and outdoor activities. The storybook walk will remain on the trailer as a feature for future seasons.
Odusanya says the project offers multiple benefits: getting families outside, helping reluctant readers warm up to books in a new setting, and showing parents how stories can spark open‑ended play at home.
Event details
- Location: Tyndale Park
- Date: This Friday
- Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Author readings: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
- Cost: Free
- Registration: None required — just show up
Listen to our interview with Angela Odusanja. It begins at the 19:56 mark.
