Challenging Our Brains at Surabaya European School

In the bright and dynamic classrooms of Surabaya European School (SES), learning often takes unexpected and playful forms. Recently, students embarked on a series of activities under the theme Challenging Our Brains. What may look like simple games with colourful blocks and chopsticks actually carried deeper lessons in resilience, focus, and collaboration — all of which are at the heart of the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) approach to learning.

These challenges were not just about building towers or moving tiny cubes. They were about nurturing life skills that help students grow into confident, adaptable, and reflective learners. Each task encouraged students to engage their minds, practise patience, and support one another, showing how fun and meaningful learning can be.

A Well-Rounded Approach to Learning Through Challenges

The activities were carefully designed to develop a broad range of skills and personal goals:

  • Problem-Solving and Creativity: Building tall, steady towers from colourful cubes pushed pupils to think critically, experiment, and find creative solutions to balance and stability.

  • Focus and Perseverance: Using chopsticks to pick up small blocks tested fine motor skills and demanded concentration, control, and determination — important qualities for success in any subject.

  • Collaboration and Communication: Working alongside classmates gave pupils the chance to share strategies, encourage one another, and celebrate teamwork.

  • Resilience and Confidence: Each challenge reminded students that mistakes and setbacks are part of learning, helping students build the confidence to try again.

More Than Just Games: Living the IPC Personal Goals

The International Primary Curriculum highlights personal goals such as enquiry, adaptability, cooperation, respect, and resilience. These playful challenges were a clear reflection of those values in action. Students didn’t just complete activities — they embodied the IPC approach by asking questions, adapting strategies, cooperating with peers, and showing respect for one another’s efforts.

Through these experiences, SES students discovered that every challenge, big or small, is an opportunity to grow. They learned that success is not only about the end result but also about the journey of problem-solving, persistence, and teamwork.

Growing Beyond the Classroom

While these activities took place inside the classroom, the lessons stretched far beyond it. By challenging their brains in fun and engaging ways, SES students developed essential life skills that will guide them through future academic tasks and real-world challenges alike.

At Surabaya European School, Challenging Our Brains is more than a set of activities. It is a reminder of the school’s commitment to holistic education, where learning is active, values-driven, and always connected to the wider world. Through this approach, SES continues to empower its students to become reflective, resilient, and internationally minded students — ready to embrace challenges with confidence and creativity.

 

Piece by Piece: Building Metacognition with Tangrams

Surabaya, Indonesia – At Surabaya European School, learning is designed to spark curiosity, encourage reflection, and empower students to think about how they learn. A wonderful example of this approach can be seen in Tangram-based activities, where students explore spatial perception while strengthening their metacognitive skills.

Much like solving a puzzle, Tangram learning is not just about getting the “right answer” – it is about trying strategies, reflecting on choices, and finding new ways to solve problems. This balance of play and reflection perfectly complements the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), which places metacognition at the heart of its learning goals.

What Are Tangrams?

Tangrams are an ancient Chinese puzzle consisting of seven geometric shapes that can be rearranged to form countless figures. While they may seem simple at first, Tangrams challenge students to visualise, problem-solve, and think creatively. At SES, these puzzles are used not only to reinforce mathematical concepts but also to nurture patience, resilience, and flexible thinking – skills that extend beyond the classroom.

Metacognition in Action

During Tangram sessions, students are encouraged to reflect on their thinking process. Teachers prompt them with questions such as: What strategy are you using? Could you try a different way? What did you learn from this attempt? By pausing to think about their thinking, students strengthen self-awareness and independence – key elements of IPC’s vision for active, reflective students.

Personal Learning Goals

Tangram activities support IPC’s personal learning goals by helping students develop resilience, adaptability, and enquiry skills. Students quickly realise that success is not always immediate; sometimes a piece does not fit, and persistence is required. This process encourages them to stay curious, experiment with solutions, and embrace mistakes as opportunities for growth.

Collaboration and Creativity

Although Tangram puzzles can be solved individually, at SES they also become opportunities for teamwork. Students share strategies, compare solutions, and learn from one another’s approaches. This collaborative spirit not only strengthens communication but also sparks creativity, as students invent new shapes and figures beyond the traditional puzzles.

International-Mindedness and Lifelong Skills

The IPC emphasises international-mindedness and real-world connections. With Tangrams, students experience how a puzzle from another culture can enhance their own learning journey. They also acquire lifelong skills: problem-solving, reflection, and creative thinking – abilities that will serve them well in school and beyond.

The Tangram sessions at Surabaya European School exemplify how mathematics, creativity, and metacognition can come together in a joyful and meaningful way. By embedding these activities within the principles of the International Primary Curriculum, SES ensures that students do more than solve puzzles – they build confidence, deepen understanding, and learn how to think about their thinking.

Building More Than Robots: Shaping Confident and Creative Learners

Creative Thinking in Action

In this hands-on project, students at Surabaya European School took part in a unique challenge: designing and building their own robot buddy from scratch. Using recycled materials such as cardboard boxes, bottle caps, and paint, the children were encouraged to stretch their imagination and apply critical thinking. The result? A colourful collection of robot creations that are as unique as the young minds behind them.

Fostering SES Learner Outcomes

This activity reflects the SES commitment to holistic education through its learner outcomes. Students demonstrated confidence in expressing their ideas through design, engagement in every step of the creative process, resilience when facing challenges or mistakes, and independence in managing their own projects from start to finish. These values were evident as each student navigated their way through problem-solving, testing, decorating, and preparing their robot for presentation.

More Than Just Building

The robot buddy project was not merely about constructing an object — it was a multidisciplinary learning experience. Students practised planning, designing, and communicating. As they explained the functions and features of their robot to peers and teachers, they developed essential communication and presentation skills in a supportive environment.

Sparking Joy and Innovation

As seen in the image, one student carefully adds final details to her robot with great focus and pride. These quiet moments of creation show how deeply invested our learners become when given the space and support to bring their ideas to life. Projects like this highlight the SES belief that learning should be joyful, purposeful, and empowering.

Nurturing Future-Ready Learners

At Surabaya European School, we strive to shape students who are not only academically prepared but also socially conscious and creatively driven. Through interactive activities like this, we help them discover their voice, their strengths, and the courage to innovate.

Creativity in Action – Paper Lanterns Under the Sun

Surabaya, Indonesia – At Surabaya European School, learning is not confined to textbooks and classrooms; it is an experience that comes alive through hands-on, real-world exploration. Recently, our Primary students enjoyed an engaging Outdoor Paper Lantern-Making Activity, where creativity, collaboration, and international learning beautifully came together.

Set against the peaceful backdrop of our green campus, students worked in teams to design and assemble colourful paper lanterns. The fresh air and open space added a unique energy to the task, as students excitedly folded, cut, and decorated their lanterns using various colours and materials.

But behind the fun lay a deeper educational purpose: this activity was thoughtfully integrated into our International Primary Curriculum (IPC) unit titled “Let’s Celebrate”, where students explore the ways people across the world mark important events and traditions.

The International Primary Curriculum is designed to make learning both rigorous and relevant. Through thematic units, it helps students see connections between subjects and the world around them. The lantern-making activity aligned with multiple IPC learning strands, making it a rich cross-curricular experience.

1. International Learning Goals:

Students discussed how lanterns can be found in celebrations from different parts of the world—not always tied to a single holiday, but often symbolising light, peace, hope, or new beginnings. This encouraged children to:

  • Compare traditions from different countries.

  • Appreciate cultural symbols beyond their surface meaning.

  • Reflect on how light brings people together in many contexts.

These discussions promoted international mindedness, a core goal of the IPC.

2. Art, Design and Creative Expression:

Aligned with the Art & Design learning goals, students:

  • Explored design techniques like folding, layering, and cutting.

  • Learned about symmetry, contrast, and colour choices.

  • Expressed emotions and stories through visual form.

Each child’s lantern was a personal creation, with design choices influenced by emotions, memories, or the joy of making something with their hands.

Beyond academics, the IPC emphasises the development of personal learning goals, such as:

  • Resilience – pushing through frustration when the glue didn’t hold, or folds weren’t perfect.

  • Cooperation – helping friends reach materials or hold parts in place.

  • Thoughtfulness – choosing colours or patterns with intention and meaning.

  • Respect – celebrating the different designs and styles of peers.

The outdoor setting enhanced these elements. Children naturally engaged in peer-to-peer learning—sharing techniques, giving tips, and encouraging each other. Teachers observed how some students took on leadership roles, while others shone in creativity or quiet concentration.

This balanced environment nurtured whole-child growth, not just technical skills.

3. A Living Classroom: Nature as an Educator

At Surabaya European School, we view our school grounds not just as a place for play, but as a living classroom, a space where knowledge comes to life and lessons are absorbed through movement, interaction, and experience.

During the lantern-making session, the benefits of outdoor learning were evident in every corner of the activity:

  • Increased Engagement and Focus

The open-air environment provided a calming, yet energising space. Students displayed higher levels of concentration than typical indoor settings. The natural light, fresh air, and space to move around helped many children remain focused for longer periods and approach tasks with renewed enthusiasm.

  • Natural Collaboration and Communication

Outdoors, children moved more freely between groups, naturally seeking help or offering it. Teachers noted increased levels of peer mentoring, where students who grasped techniques quickly offered guidance to those who struggled—without prompting.

For example, one student spontaneously demonstrated a folding method to a peer, saying, “Try this, it holds better with less glue!” These organic interactions strengthened social bonds and fostered confidence.

  • Sensory and Kinesthetic Learning

Handling different materials, feeling textures, manipulating shapes, and moving physically through each step of the project allowed for multi-sensory learning. This especially benefited students who thrive through tactile or kinesthetic experiences children who may not typically shine in more traditional classroom activities.

  • Creative Freedom and Expression

In the outdoor space, children felt less confined and more inclined to take creative risks. Some students layered unexpected colour combinations or introduced patterns inspired by nature around them—leaves, trees, or the sky. This demonstrated how the environment shapes imagination.