Coloring Stories, Coloring the Future: Developing Elementary School Children's Creativity and Emotional Intelligence Through Coloring Activities
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Elementary school-aged children in rural areas often experience limitations in the development of creativity, fine motor skills, and emotional intelligence due to the lack of enjoyable arts activities and the post-pandemic impact. This community service research aims to address these issues through coloring activities for children's favorite characters at Semanggi Elementary School, Jepon District, Blora Regency, Central Java. The topic was chosen based on the potential of coloring as a simple yet effective medium to stimulate children's holistic development according to the Merdeka Curriculum. The activity was carried out from July to August 2025, involving 19 first-grade students using a participatory action research approach. The module contained 20 sheets of images of popular characters, such as Tung Tung Sahur, Balerina, Bombardino Crocodilo, Cappuccino Assassin, etc., which were then combined with storytelling and reflection. Data were collected through pretests and posttests, participant observation, and satisfaction questionnaires. The results showed significant improvements: creativity by 55.9%, fine motor skills by 62.2%, and emotional intelligence by 53.5%. Students also showed increased self-confidence and self-expression skills. This program demonstrates that interest-based coloring activities are an effective and affordable strategy for supporting holistic education in rural schools. The program's sustainability in other schools in Blora Regency is highly recommended.
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