Intent on fostering the curiosity and creativity of young minds, Froebel devised a series of twenty playthings, which he called “Gifts.” These objects formed the core of his pioneering model for early-childhood education, anchoring sessions of play that were either directed by teachers or instigated by the children themselves. Among the Gifts were crocheted balls of various colors that could be easily grasped by tiny hands, and multicolored sheets of paper for older children to cut and weave with, or to stitch patterns on. By the early twentieth century, this teaching method was so popular that Froebel Gifts were being manufactured on a large scale and distributed worldwide.

Gallery label from

October 21, 2019–Spring 2020

Medium Wool
Dimensions Each: diam. 2" (5.1 cm)
Credit Gift of Lawrence Benenson
Object number 136.2011.1-7
Department Architecture & Design

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