Children's Construction Learning With Automata Papertoy At Mutiara Children Learning Center
A community service initiative integrating creative design and construction learning for kindergarten students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25047/j-dinamika.v11i1.6975Keywords:
Automata Papertoy, Construction Learning, Early Childhood Education, Creative Learning, Visual Communication DesignAbstract
Early childhood learning requires interactive and hands-on activities that stimulate creativity, motor skills, and cognitive development. However, many kindergarten learning activities still rely on methods that limit children's with constructive play. This community service program introduced construction learning through paper bird toys to children at Mutiara Children Learning Center (MCLC). The activity was organized by the Visual Communication Design (VCD) of Jakarta International University (JIU), involving 4 lecturers and 28. Conducted on March 11, 2026, the program guided children aged 3–6 years to assemble simple bird papertoy according to their class levels with the assistance of lecturers and students. Through cutting, folding, and assembling automata processes, children learned basic construction concepts while developing fine motor skills and creativity. As result, each child successfully created automata paper bird toy that could be taken home, reinforcing learning through tangible outcomes. This activity demonstrates constructive play effectively supports early childhood creative learning.
Downloads
References
Edwards, S., & Bird, J. (2021). Play-based learning and intentional teaching in early childhood education. Early Childhood Education Journal, 49(6), 1087–1098.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01119-0 Darmawan, A. J., Yoo, P. M. H., Utomo, S. R. H., Sentani, E. J., & Valerine, K. (2025).
Pengenalan Angka melalui Menggambar Binatang untuk TK Mutiara. Jurnal Lentera Widya, 6(2), 99-107.
https://doi.org/10.35886/lenterawidya.v6i2. 1565
Howard, J., Miles, G., Rees-Davies, L., & Bertenshaw, E. (2022). Play in middle childhood: Everyday play behaviour and associated emotions. Children & Society, 36(3), 478–494.
https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12489
Kangas, M., Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, P., & Hakkarainen, K. (2022). Design-based learning in early childhood education. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, 32, 100381.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcci.2022.100381 Kiewra, C., & Veselack, E. (2021). Play, learning,
and the brain: Early childhood development in educational contexts. Early Childhood Education Journal, 49(5), 945–953. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01086-6
Liu, Y., & Wu, H. (2023). Hands-on maker education in early childhood learning environments. Education Sciences, 13(2), 165.
https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13020165 Marsh, J., Arnseth, H., & Kumpulainen, K. (2022).
Maker literacies and playful learning in early childhood education. Learning, Media and Technology, 47(4), 529–543. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2021.201 9943
Resnick, M., & Rosenbaum, E. (2023). Designing for tinkerability and creative learning. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, 36, 100586.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcci.2023.100586 Tissenbaum, M., Sheldon, J., & Abelson, H.
(2021). From computational thinking to computational action. Communications of the ACM, 64(3), 34–36.
https://doi.org/10.1145/3442374
Wohlwend, K., Peppler, K., Keune, A., & Thompson, N. (2021). Making sense of making: Defining learning practices in makerspaces. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 30(2), 1–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508406.2021.187 3176
Yang, S., & Li, M. (2022). Creative play and early childhood cognitive development. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 845102.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.845102 Zosh, J., Hopkins, E., Jensen, H., Liu, C., Neale,
D., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Whitebread, D. (2022). Learning through play: A review of the evidence. The LEGO Foundation Research Report.
https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.23047.2704 2
Bers, M. U. (2022). Coding as a playground: Programming and computational thinking in the early childhood classroom. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003094293
Fleer, M. (2021). Theorising play in the early years.
Cambridge Journal of Education, 51(1), 1–
17.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2020.181 6241
Hsin, C., Li, M., & Tsai, C. (2021). The influence of maker-centered learning on young children's creativity. Computers & Education, 168, 104211.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2021.104 211
Piaget, J. (2023). The language and thought of the child (New ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003433583
Sheridan, K., & Konopasky, A. (2022). Designing learning in maker environments. Educational Technology Research and Development, 70(1), 245–266. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-021-10038-7
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Andreas James Darmawan

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The copyright of articles published on J-Dinamika is held by the author (Copyright by Authors) under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY). So that the author who will publish the manuscript at J-Dinamika does not need a copyright transfer agreement that must be submitted to the editorial.


