The Froebel ® Blocks
When Friedrich Froebel established the first system for educating young children, he created a series of playthings to provide children with focussed educational experiences. Up until that time, toys were intended for amusement and education was provided through books and instruction. Froebel's Kindergarten used play as its engine and his Spielgabe (or "play gifts") were the fuel. During his lifetime he codified the series of Froebel® Gifts up through Gift 7 (parquetry tablets). After his death in 1852, his followers extended the series by numbering other materials used in his school.
Froebel Gifts 2 through 6 (aka "the Building Gifts") are wood blocks in various shapes and quantities. Known more commonly as the Froebel Blocks, these toys were made famous in the USA by the Milton Bradley Company. Milton Bradley himself was a strong advocate of the Froebel method. Frank Lloyd Wright and Buckminster Fuller are two famous examples of children educated with the Froebel Blocks.
See the Froebel Gifts in action, attend the next FroebelUSA conference.
