Tangerang — A mentoring program involving 61 early childhood education teachers in Tangerang District found that children’s computational thinking can be stimulated through deliberately designed play environments without relying on computers or digital devices. The program was conducted by Irma Yuliantina, Iik Zakiah Darajat, Mansyur Ridho, Marijah, Sri Lestari, and Yosephine Wijayanti from Universitas Panca Sakti Bekasi between April and June 2026 through workshops, practical activities, and teacher mentoring. The program improved teachers’ ability to arrange play environments that encourage children to explore, recognize patterns, classify objects, sequence actions, and solve problems through meaningful play experiences.
The program was carried out in collaboration with teachers affiliated with the Indonesian Kindergarten Teachers Association (IGTKI) and the Indonesian Association of Early Childhood Education Educators and Staff (HIMPAUDI) in Tangerang District, Tangerang City. It responded to conditions identified in early childhood education settings, where play environments were often focused on providing educational toys rather than being intentionally designed to develop children’s logical, systematic thinking, pattern recognition, and problem-solving abilities.
Another challenge involved teachers’ understanding of computational thinking. Many participants initially associated the concept with computers, smartphones, robotics, or coding activities. The program emphasized that computational thinking in early childhood education can also develop through everyday play activities involving classification, pattern recognition, sequencing, decision-making, and problem-solving.
The authors promoted an approach in which the play environment becomes an active part of children’s learning process. Instead of simply providing toys, teachers organize spaces, materials, and activities so children can experiment, observe, compare, classify, sequence actions, and solve problems independently. The learning environment is also viewed as “the third teacher,” supporting natural learning experiences and a more child-centered approach.
The program consisted of five stages: needs analysis, preparation of training materials, workshops, practical play-environment design, and implementation mentoring followed by the preparation of follow-up plans. A total of 61 teachers from various early childhood education institutions in Tangerang District participated in the program.
During the workshop, teachers learned about computational thinking and how it could be incorporated into age-appropriate play activities. The training covered decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithms, but these concepts were translated into practical activities suitable for young children. Teachers then worked in groups to design play areas, use materials available in their surroundings, and simulate activities intended to encourage children’s curiosity and problem-solving skills.
The program’s findings suggest that the main benefit of mentoring was not limited to increasing teachers’ knowledge. It also encouraged changes in everyday teaching practices. Teachers increasingly understood that computational thinking is not simply the ability to use technology. It can be developed through simple play activities using materials available in children’s everyday environments, provided that the activities are intentionally designed to encourage thinking, experimentation, and problem-solving.
Each participant also prepared a Follow-Up Action Plan as a commitment to continue implementing the program at their respective early childhood education institutions. The plans included reorganizing play environments, developing areas that support exploration and problem-solving, providing materials for pattern recognition and classification, and conducting regular reflection on the integration of computational thinking into children’s play activities.
For the education sector, the findings indicate that developing 21st-century skills in early childhood does not necessarily require expensive technological facilities. A well-planned play environment, simple materials, and teachers who can provide appropriate questions and activities can become important resources for developing children’s thinking skills. The authors nevertheless recommend continued mentoring, the development of teacher communities of practice, and institutional support so that computational thinking becomes part of the culture of early childhood education rather than remaining a one-time training activity.
Authors
Irma Yuliantina — Master’s Program in Early Childhood Education, Graduate Faculty, Universitas Panca Sakti Bekasi, Indonesia.
Iik Zakiah Darajat — Master’s Program in Early Childhood Education, Graduate Faculty, Universitas Panca Sakti Bekasi, Indonesia.
Mansyur Ridho — Master’s Program in Early Childhood Education, Graduate Faculty, Universitas Panca Sakti Bekasi, Indonesia.
Marijah — Master’s Program in Early Childhood Education, Graduate Faculty, Universitas Panca Sakti Bekasi, Indonesia.
Sri Lestari — Master’s Program in Early Childhood Education, Graduate Faculty, Universitas Panca Sakti Bekasi, Indonesia.
Yosephine Wijayanti — Master’s Program in Early Childhood Education, Graduate Faculty, Universitas Panca Sakti Bekasi, Indonesia.
Research Source
“Assisting Early Childhood Education Teachers in Organizing Play Environments to Stimulate Computational Thinking Skills in Early Childhood,” Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Formosa (JPMF), Vol. 5, No. 4, August 2026, pp. 341–356.
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