About Us

Happy Teepee is a Reggio Emilia inspired art atelier based in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Founded in 2019, we started this project as a campaign to let kids be kids. We live in a rapidly changing world, with rigorous academic demands placed upon children more than ever before.
Children are quickly becoming deprived of self-discovery as they are constantly being told what to do and how to do it. Play is being pushed into the margins to make room for more ‘learning’ and what often gets lost in all of this is their precious creativity, imagination and courage.
In our Reggio Inspired studio, we aim to rejuvenate in children, this lost essence of what it means to be a kid— all the jumping, kicking, running, splattering mess making and unraveling—unfettered and unadulterated, through our art and sensory classes.

Meet The Founders

  • Neha Vaswani

    When she’s not busy on Pinterest scouring for the whackiest art and sensory activities, she’s got her hands tinkering on a DIY project or doodling on scraps of paper. Neha is an early childhood educator passionate for all things fun and child-led. Her encounter with process art and sensory play began as she was studying for her Masters course in Early Childhood Education—which led her to plan an impulsive (but life-altering) trip to Reggio Emilia, where the idea of Happy Teepee came into fruition.

  • Sharon Chandiramani

    There is no one else in the world with the childlike positivity of Sharon. Let’s just say she’s always somehow calm and content. Sharon has been practicing mindfulness for quite a while and it’s benefits are very apparent in the way she approaches everything. Sharon is determined to pass this gift of mindfulness to kids. She also passionate about art and has been painting for most of her life. When Sharon participated in the study tour in Reggio Emilia, the therapeutic and empowering nature of the arts became clear to her and so she was determined to bring Happy Teepee into life.

Meet The Team

  • Pradnya Padminiamaitri

    There are 2 kinds of people who work with kids: people who love kids, and people who ARE kids. Pradnya is...both. She believes that every single component in a child’s learning process should be made as sustainable and accessible as possible, which is why she’s a true supporter of nature and play-based learning. She also believes that no kid should ever grow up without muddy puddles, wall doodles, and Studio Ghibli films.

  • Joana Adventia

    If you are looking for Joana, you can find her under a pile of blankets binge watching Netflix, or having a crisis on which DIY thing she wants to start this week. Actually, that's how she found out about Reggio Emilia approach. She was a teacher during the pandemic and was tasked to teach young children arts and life skills. She discovered that it is possible to put art at the centre of learning and how amazing it is to see children learn and thrive through tinkering and working on projects. She believes that hands-on learning using materials found around us is the best to learn, and of course, the messier the better! 

  • Sarah Tadjudin

    Born & raised in Australia, Sarah believes that every child should have the opportunity to express themselves, roll around on some grass and live a care-free childhood life outdoors filled with paint, glue, and lots and lots of glitter! 

    From Disney sing-alongs to memorising the script to nearly every Disney movie, Sarah has decided to leave her corporate life and spend her days doing what she loves best : teaching kids, being around kids & most importantly being a KID!

Interested to join the #teepeeteam?

If you find that you tick most of the boxes below,

  • You love children. A Lot.
  • You’re not afraid of hard work (these paintbrushes don’t wash themselves! wink wink).
  • You’re creative and know 3657 ways to recycle paper into something bewitching.
  • You’re passionate about visual arts and the benefits of arts education, and have some qualifications in the Visual Arts field (Bachelors/Masters level preferred)
  • You believe in the transformative power of art and want to make a difference in the lives of children.
  • You have the courage to take risks and do what calls out to your heart and soul.
  • You know and trust in your capabilities.
  • You speak and write in English fluently.
  • You like to organize things in the color of the rainbow (we can relate).
Send your full CV