Frederic Froebel: The Creator of Kindergarten's Toys and History

Kindergarten was the brain child of one Fredrich Froebel. His work is notable in the fields of education and play. Froebel was an idealist and his ideas about education were related quite closely to his religion and God. His ideas were also influenced by Pestalozzi. Pesalozzi believed in the ideas of a permissive atmosphere in schools, the importance of nature, and objective lessons. Froebel's philosophy of education were based on the concepts of free self-expression, creativity, social activity, and motor ability and work.

In 1840's Germany, Froebel conducted the first kindergarten class. He taught the children through symbols that were representative of his interpretation of the relationship of the individual and God. Such symbols included "gifts" and "occupations." His "gifts", objects that one played with to achieve higher understanding, such as blocks. (His first gift of the series was a ball on a string. Froebel felt that there was large importance to a ball. Balls are usually a favorite toy for young children possibly because balls are easy to grasp.) The gifts were utilized to test the child's imagination. "Occupations" were defined as activities given to the children.

Friedrich Froebel believed that everyone was both productive and creative. Fulfilment, he argued, came through developing their personal productivity in harmony with God. Froebel encouraged creating educational environments that had both practical and physical work. Froebel's underlying message was that through experience, understanding comes alive.

Education, according to Froebel is needed to foster a child's development. In short, play enhanced self-development. This belief became commonly knowk world-wide in a fairly short amount of time. The publicity surrounding Froebel's ideas brought building blocks and other items to enhance young minds to the US (and other industralized countries). Froebel's concept of the development of schools for kids also caught on, hence the current kindergarten.