Children naturally explore, imagine, and create, yet mainstream schooling often restricts curiosity, reducing learning to a narrow set of predefined knowledge. Even well-intended efforts to nurture creativity struggle against systemic and contextual constraints. Khoj Yaan, an arts-based making program in government schools, takes a context-driven approach, using stories, play, puppetry, and making to expand children’s ways of thinking and learning. Through Khoj Yaan, we are gathering anecdata that reveal how the program can bring social inclusion. Students often labeled “notorious” or “backbenchers” find renewed engagement through making, ideating, and innovating. Their participation builds confidence while also shifting teachers’ perceptions of their academic and creative potential. We also observe a subtle yet significant shift in how these children perceive the knowledge they inherit from their contexts—knowledge that often seems to be undervalued in conventional education systems. Arts-based making enables children to articulate their ideas, desires, and learning processes, strengthening their confidence and agency. These instances of deep learning are grounded in constructionist principles, ensuring that children make their thinking visible and demonstrate their capabilities in tangible ways. As children now venture into projects that explore social challenges through objects and materials, they deepen their connection with their environment and community. Despite their impact, arts, culture, and making remain sidelined in formal education. Khoj Yaan demonstrates how integrating context, creativity, and participatory learning can redefine schooling, proving that when children lead their learning, education becomes truly transformative.