<![CDATA[This community service program was motivated by the limited capacity of teachers at PAUD Darul Ulum to design learning activities that provide opportunities for children to explore and develop creativity through the use of materials available in their surroundings. The program aimed to enhance teachers’ competence in developing and implementing loose parts-based learning that is open-ended, flexible, and child-centered. A participatory approach was employed through several stages, including needs assessment, conceptual reinforcement, workshops, hands-on practice and simulation, implementation assistance, and evaluation. The program involved eight teachers and 32 children aged 4–6 years. Evaluation was conducted using pre- and post-tests, teacher competency observations, and observations of children’s creative activities. The results showed an increase in teachers’ average understanding scores from 61.5 to 88.0, while their ability to design learning activities increased from 62.5% to 91.3%. In terms of children’s creativity, the average achievement increased from 64.4% to 89.4%. These findings indicate that practice-based mentoring can strengthen teachers’ ability to utilize loose parts as affordable, flexible, and readily available learning resources. Loose parts-based learning also provides children with greater opportunities to explore materials, generate ideas, experiment with different alternatives, and create products based on their imagination. This program demonstrates that strengthening teacher competence is an important factor in optimizing the use of loose parts to foster creative and child-centered learning in early childhood education.]]>
