Cheerful Sheep Creations: Assistance in Utilizing Loose Parts and Recycled Materials to Stimulate Early Childhood Creativity
Keywords:
creativity, early childhood, loose parts, recycled materials, art learningAbstract
Creativity is one of the essential developmental aspects that should be stimulated from an early age through learning activities that encourage children to explore, express ideas, and create independently. However, art learning in early childhood education is still predominantly based on worksheets and teacher-directed models, limiting children's opportunities to develop creativity. This Community Service Program aimed to enhance early childhood creativity through mentoring in the utilization of loose parts and recycled materials in the Cheerful Sheep Creations program at KB Sekar Arum. The program was conducted on June 13, 2026, involving 20 children aged 4–5 years. It employed a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach integrated with the learning by doing method. The implementation consisted of needs identification, media preparation, apperception, learning activities, and observational evaluation. The activities included creating word collages using drinking straws, arranging sheep picture sequences, and making sheep miniatures from recycled plastic bottles and cotton. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in children's creativity, as reflected in their ability to explore materials, produce original artwork, express ideas, and demonstrate flexible thinking in utilizing various materials. Furthermore, the program positively contributed to children's cognitive, language, socio-emotional, and fine motor development. Teachers responded positively because the learning media were inexpensive, environmentally friendly, easily accessible, and capable of creating active and meaningful learning experiences. Therefore, the utilization of loose parts and recycled materials is recommended as an innovative approach to art learning in early childhood education.
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