Every morning on Nias Island, Indonesia, a small roadside garage is transformed into a preschool classroom. Before the children arrive for class, Murniati and a colleague arrange tiny tables, sweep the floor clean and set out colorful learning materials.

Before this, Murniati’s routine was almost without surprise: plan lessons, greet the children, write on the board, sing, then close the lesson with a prayer. Over time, she began noticing that many children lost interest. “We only taught the way we knew,” she recalled, “without understanding how children actually learn.”

Then came an invitation to join a training offered by the KREASI program, which introduced project-based learning for early childhood education.

Learning through curiosity and play

At first, Murniati was unsure whether the new methods would work in her preschool. But the training, which brought together facilitators from cities such as Jakarta and Makassar, introduced her to a different way of thinking about learning.

“We realized that when children play, they are not just having fun... they are learning to understand shapes, colors and relationships between objects,” she said. Teaching young children, she adds, is like “becoming a child again”, playing again, and being amazed by small things once taken for granted.

One of the first classroom projects she introduced focused on floods. Using recycled bottles, cardboard and water, the children created artificial rain, built bridges and observed how puddles formed. Through play and experimentation, children learned about cause and effect by seeing it for themselves.

The transition was not always easy. Some children were confused at first and struggled to understand the idea of a “project”. She gave them space to try and to laugh at their failures together. “The first three days were tough,” Murniati recalled, “but after that, the class felt full of energy.”

Today, she sees changes in her students. They are more curious, more independent and more confident participating in class. One child who used to cry when her parents left now happily joins activities and even volunteers to lead prayers before class.

A teacher learning alongside her students

The children’s progress is a mirror of Murniati’s own growth. “I used to think a teacher’s job was to make children understand,” she said. “Now I ask more questions together with them, instead of just telling.”

Through the training, Murniati became a Master Teacher, supporting other teachers to apply similar approaches in their classrooms. At first, she felt nervous sharing her experience with colleagues—especially when her own principal attended the sessions. But slowly, her confidence grew.

Changes beyond the classroom

Parents have also noticed differences at home. Martina, whose two children attend the preschool, said they have become more independent and responsible.

“My children now like to wake up early, pray and not throw trash carelessly,” she said. “They have also started writing, scribbling and reminding us to pray before going to sleep.”

For Murniati, these small changes matter deeply. Today, each time she prepares a lesson, she begins with one question: “What can make the children curious today?”