THE APPLICATION OF TANGRAM MEDIA TO IMPROVE CREATIVITY IN RECOGNIZING GEOMETRIC SHAPES IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN AT FITRAH INSANI KINDERGARTEN, WEST JAKARTA

Abstract

Creativity in preschool children is an essential aspect that needs to be stimulated early, as it plays a vital role in cognitive, social, and emotional development. However, many children still face creativity barriers due to limited use of engaging and educational learning media. This study aims to analyze the effect of tangram media intervention on improving creativity in recognizing geometric shapes among preschool children. The research employed a case study design with five respondents aged 5–6 years at Fitrah Insani Integrated Islamic Kindergarten (TKIT), West Jakarta, conducted from September 3–8, 2025. The research instrument was an observation sheet of creativity categorized as Not Developed (ND), Beginning to Develop (BD), Developing as Expected (DE), and Developing Very Well (DVW). The intervention was carried out in two cycles over six days, with each session lasting 30 minutes, using tangram to form various patterns of animals and vehicles. The results showed a significant improvement in creativity. Before the intervention, most children were in the ND and BD categories. After the intervention, the majority improved to DE and DVW categories, demonstrated by their ability to create more varied shapes, explain their work, and show greater confidence in expressing creativity. Conclusion: the use of tangram media is effective in enhancing preschool children’s creativity in recognizing geometric shapes. It is recommended that teachers and parents utilize tangram as an educational play medium to stimulate children’s creativity, and further studies should be conducted with a larger sample size and more diverse research designs.