The original kindergarten was a revolutionary educational program that was invented in the 1830s by Friedrich Froebel and grew to become a familiar institution throughout the world by the end of the 19th century. Using visual material, this book reconstructs the origins of that system, devised for teaching young children about art, design, mathematics and natural history. Kindergarten involved singing, dancing, nature study and storytelling, and also play with the so-called "Froebel gifts", a series of 20 educational toys which included building blocks, parquetry tiles, origami papers, modelling clay, sewing kits and other design projects. Norman Brosterman tells the story of Froebel's life, his goals and his educational philosophy, and describes each of the "gifts", all of which are illustrated. Examples of art by 19th-century kindergarten teachers and children, and diagrams from kindergarten textbooks, are also reproduced. Brosterman attempts to show how this educational program may