PENGARUH KEGIATAN BERMAIN CLAYTOON CERIA BERBAHAN AIR DRY CLAY TERHADAP PERKEMBANGAN MOTORIK HALUS ANAK USIA 4–5 TAHUN

Abstract

This study aims to determine the improvement of children's fine motor skills through Claytoon Ceria activities using air dry clay media. This research employed a quantitative approach with a pre-experimental design, specifically a one-group pretest-posttest design. The research subjects were 20 children in Group A. Data were collected through observation using an assessment instrument focused on a single indicator, namely the ability to form simple objects as a representation of hand–eye coordination. The instrument had been validated by experts and was deemed appropriate for use in this study. Data were analyzed using a non-parametric statistical test, namely the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, as the data were not normally distributed based on the Shapiro-Wilk test results. The results showed that the average pretest score of 1.20 increased to 3.10 in the posttest. The average improvement of 1.90 indicates a development in children's fine motor skills after the treatment was given. In addition, most children showed improvement in forming simple objects more neatly, appropriately, and independently. During the treatment process, children demonstrated high enthusiasm and active participation in clay-forming activities. The Wilcoxon test results indicated a significant difference between pretest and posttest scores, meaning that the research hypothesis was accepted. Thus, it can be concluded that Claytoon Ceria activities using air dry clay media are effective in improving children's fine motor skills, particularly in hand–eye coordination through simple object-forming activities. This activity can be used as an enjoyable, innovative, and developmentally appropriate learning alternative for early childhood.

Keywords: fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, air dry clay, early childhood education