# data[].attributes.body
"In 1831 Froebel left Keilhau to his partner and accepted the Swiss government’s invitation to train elementary school teachers. His experiences at Keilhau and as head of a new orphan asylum at Burgdorf in Switzerland impressed him with the importance of the early stages of education. On returning to Keilhau in 1837 he opened an infant school in Blankenburg, Prussia, that he originally called the Child Nurture and Activity Institute, and which by happy inspiration he later renamed the Kindergarten, or “garden of children.” He also started a publishing firm for play and other educational materials, including a collection of Mother-Play and Nursery Songs, with lengthy explanations of their meaning and use. This immensely popular book was translated into many foreign languages. Froebel insisted that improvement of infant education was a vital preliminary to comprehensive educational and social reform. His experiments at the Kindergarten attracted widespread interest, and other kindergartens were started. Unfortunately, because of a confusion with the socialist views of Froebel’s nephew, the Prussian government proscribed the kindergarten movement in 1851. The ban was not removed until after 1860, several years after Froebel’s death in 1852."  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Friedrich-Froebel

# data[].attributes.body
"Children are like tiny flowers: They are varied and need care, but each is beautiful alone and glorious when seen in the community of peers." - Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852)

# data[].attributes.body
In 1837 Friedrich Froebel founded his own school and called it "kindergarten," or the children's garden.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Community Playthings | Friedrich Froebel: His life and influence on education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Read about the life and works of Friedrich Froebel, one of the most influential educators ever

# data[].attributes.body
Froebel's dedication to education is continued through institutions today. The New Thuringian Froebel Association works on his education principals. Also, The Froebel College, now part of the University of Roehampton, was founded in 1892 in South West London maintains a collection of archives from Froebel's principles.

# data[].attributes.body
Best known for kindergartens and play, Froebel has a lot to say for informal educators.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Friedrich Froebel (Fröbel). Best known for his work on kindergardens and play, Froebel has a lot to say for informal educators.

Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel (Fröbel) (1782 - 1852). Friedrich Froebel, the German educationalist, is best known as the originator of the 'kindergarten system'. By all accounts he had a difficult childhood. His mother died when he was a baby, and his father, a pastor, left him to his own devices. He grew up, it is said, with a love for nature and with a strong Christian faith and this was central to his thinking as an educationalist. He saw, and sought to encourage, unity in all things.

The purpose of education is to encourage and guide man as a conscious, thinking and perceiving being in such a way that he becomes a pure and perfect representation of that divine inner law through his own personal choice; education must show him the ways and meanings of attaining that goal. (Friedrich Froebel 1826 Die Nenschenerziehung, pp. 2). He came into teaching via a school run along Pestalozzian lines (and spent time at Yverdon). Friedrich Froebel's enduring significance was through his formulation of the 'kindergarten system' with its emphasis on play and its use of 'gifts' (play materials) and 'occupations (activities).

Friedrich Froebel believed that humans are essentially productive and creative - and fulfilment comes through developing these in harmony with God and the world. As a result, Froebel sought to encourage the creation of educational environments that involved practical work and the direct use of materials. Through engaging with the world, understanding unfolds. Hence the significance of play - it is both a creative activity and through it children become aware of their place in the world. He went on to develop special materials (such as shaped wooden bricks and balls - gifts), a series of recommended activities (occupations) and movement activities, and an linking set of theories. His original concern was the teaching of young children through educational games in the family. In the later years of his life this became linked with a demand for the provision of special centres for the care and development of children outside the home.

Froebel's abiding influence has come in part from the efforts of followers such as Bertha von Marenholtz-Bülow and the thinkers such as Diesterweg. We have seen the development of kindergartens, and the emergence of a Froebel movement. For informal educators, Friedrich Froebel's continuing relevance has lain in his concern for learning through activity, his interest in social learning and his emphasis on the 'unification 'of life.

Key texts:

Fröbel, F. (1826) On the Education of Man (Die Menschenerziehung), Keilhau/Leipzig: Wienbrach.

Lilley, I. (ed.) (1967) Friedrich Froebel: A selection from his writings, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
A recent book that draws together some useful material from the archives of the National Froebel Foundation is:
Bruce, T., Findlay, A., Read, J. and Scarborough, M. (eds.) (1995) Recurring Themes in Education, London: Paul Chapman Publishing.
Biographies: There have been various 'lives' and educational assessments. The standard German treatment is:

Kuntze, M. A. (1952) Friedrich Fröbel: Sein weg und sein Werk 2e, Heidelberg: Quelle und Meyer.

See also:

Heiland, H. (1989) Die Pädogogik Friedrich Fröbels, Hildesheim: Olms.

The English language treatments that I know are:

Kilpatrick, W. H. (1916) Froebel's Kindergarden Principles Critically Examined, New York : Macmillan.

Lawrence, E. (ed.) (1952)Friedrich Froebel and English Education, London: University of London Press. Series of essays on key elements of Fröbel's thought and practice.

Websites: Visit the very useful (and growing) site maintained by Bruce M. Watson - Froebel Page.

Acknowledgements:Picture: Friedrich Fröbel- Construction kit- 1782-1852- SINA Facsimile. Systems design- The Ulm school. Exhibit at Disseny Hub Barcelona- DHUB. Retrieved from Wikimedia Commons. Kippelboy - licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

© Mark K. Smith 1997.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel (Fröbel) (1782 - 1852). Friedrich Froebel, the German educationalist, is best known as the originator of the 'kindergarten system'. By all accounts he had a difficult childhood. His mother died when he was a baby, and his father, a pastor, left him to his own devices.

# data[].attributes.headline
Froebel's philosphy was that play facilitated a child's process of cultural recapitulation. His theory entertained that every human repeated the general cultural epoch in his or her own development. By playing children socialize and learn the activities so Froebel created a kindergarten curriculum. The curriculum identified the forms and concepts that represented his fundamental ideas of kindergarten. Play was imperative to discovering how things work.

# data[].attributes.subject
Froebel's philosphy was that play facilitated a child's process of cultural recapitulation. His theory entertained that every human repeated the general cultural epoch in his or her own development. By playing children socialize and learn the activities so Froebel created a kindergarten curriculum. The curriculum identified the forms and concepts that represented his fundamental ideas of kindergarten. Play was imperative to discovering how things work.

# data[].attributes.body
Friedrich Frobel. (n.d). Retrieved March 27th, 2017 from Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Fr%C3%B6bel#External_links

Education Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Friedrich Frobel Friedrich Froebel (1782–1852) - Biography, Froebel's Kindergarten Philosophy, The Kindergarten Curriculum, Diffusion of the Kindergarten. March 27th, 2017. Web. http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1999/Froebel-Friedrich-1782-1852.html

GoodTherapy.org

Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) (n.d.). Referenced March 27th, 2017.

http://www.goodtherapy.org/famous-psychologists/friedrich-froebel.html

Britannica.com. Friedrich Froebel, German Educator. (n.d.) March 27th, 2017.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Friedrich-Froebel

# data[].attributes.headline
Froebel introduced the concept of "free work" and "games" in education. His student, Margarethe Schurz, founded kindergarten in the United States in 1856 in Wisconsin.

# data[].attributes.subject
Froebel introduced the concept of "free work" and "games" in education. His student, Margarethe Schurz, founded kindergarten in the United States in 1856 in Wisconsin.

# data[].attributes.headline
Froebel believed the kindergarten focus should be on play and the process of a kids innermost needs, thoughts and desires.

# data[].attributes.subject
Froebel believed the kindergarten focus should be on play and the process of a kids innermost needs, thoughts and desires.

# data[].attributes.headline
Froebel  recognized the importance of early education happening sooner than it was being practiced and started the first kindergarten in Germany in 1837. Also, referred to as a children's garden for ages 3-5 years old.

# data[].attributes.subject
Froebel  recognized the importance of early education happening sooner than it was being practiced and started the first kindergarten in Germany in 1837. Also, referred to as a children's garden for ages 3-5 years old.

# data[].attributes.headline
Friedrich was the youngest of five sons and his mother died when he was just 9 months old. Feeling neglected by his newly remarried father he had an unhappy childhood

# data[].attributes.subject
Friedrich was the youngest of five sons and his mother died when he was just 9 months old. Feeling neglected by his newly remarried father he had an unhappy childhood

# data[].attributes.body
21 April 1782 – 21 June 1852 German