Education Theorists & Psychologists: Fröbel

Songs, blocks and snack time (and don’t forget a nap).

The kindergarten was developed in the nineteenth century by Friedrich Froebel, a German reformer and educator. He built upon the ideas of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, a Swiss follower of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s belief in the inherent goodness of children.

In 1838 the German educator Friedrich Fröbel laid the foundations of modern education when he opened the Play and Activity Institute. He soon called it a Kindergarten, reflecting his belief that young children should be nurtured and nourished ‘like plants in a garden’.

A Credo Reference landing page on Friendrich Fröbel. This page includes links to reference works, journal articles, and a mind map.

Froebel was a student of Pestalozzi and he further developed Pestalozzi's theories. He believed children have a divine spark. Froebel introduced the first kindergarten, where singing and storytelling stimulated the imagination while introducing folk heroes and values. Manipulatives such as blocks and clay were introduced by Froebel and remain an important part of the early childhood classroom.