Show First Kindergarten Was w s sin in Blankenburg Germany That idea of schooling as simply the fostering of the best natural growth was in the mind of Fred- Fred Frederick crick erick Froebel when he opened the first kindergarten in the little town of Blankenburg Germany in 1837 and found a name for his educational educational educational idea says sas a writer in m the New York Times From a hilltop where ho could see sec the village houses each with its tiny garden i plot he made his famous declara declara- declaration I declara-I declaration tion Eureka I have it Kinder Kinder- Kindergarten Kindergarten Kindergarten garten it shall be Keil- Keil Froebel's first school was at nt i hau established in 1816 The work- work I ing ing ng plan of that school sch l lna and na his 1 s c edu- edu educational u- u theory he put into print prints in 1826 in the Education of Man The Means of Education used there and printed in Education of Man would be an acceptable course of study tudy in a modern coun coun- country country country try day school Froebel's experience in this school and his observations of mothers with their children in the home life about him led to his conviction that education was a continuous process and to be effective should begin in early childhood For twenty years he thought and worked over his plans for obtaining a more abundant abundant abundant dant life lite for children He had made his appeal to par par- parents parents parents for a better understanding of child nature in the following terms O 0 men as you stroll through t h r 0 ugh garden or meadow br or field or copse why not use your sense to perceive what nature would teach you Be Be- Behold Behold Behold hold the plant When grown under pressure you scarcely guess its na na- natural natural na- na natural tural life and purpose but in open ground it becomes a sun of green I rays a star of leaves Your chil chil- children children children dren too 0 O parents have it in them to become creatures fully developed to beauty |