Froebel Gallery shop

secure online ordering of the original gifts and blocks designed by Friedrich Froebel.

Building Blocks designed by Friedrich Froebel for the first Kindergarten

The first building box contains a beechwood cube divided three times to reveal eight smaller cubes

The child at this stage of development (aged about one to three) strives to separate things, to take them apart, to change their form, but also to reassemble them. The child is intent on discovering inner properties of things and having discovered them, on recreating the whole. Nothing is more suited to this activity than the cube, subdivided into eight equal sized smaller cubes. . . more

The first building box is also known as the third Froebel Gift or Gabe 3.

The second building box contains a beechwood cube divided four times to reveal eight oblong blocks

While the forms produced with the preceding gift were massive and space-filing, those produced with this gift incline toward surface forms, may be given either a horizontal or vertical position, and are space bounding and inclosing. . . more

The second building box is also known as the fourth Froebel Gift or Gabe 4.

Friedrich Froebel encouraged children to combine all 16 blocks to extend the possibilities for creative play. Kindergarten teachers designed additional building blocks by dividing oblong blocks in two different ways to create the sixth Froebel Gift or Gabe 6.

FroBlox ™ is a trademark of the Friedrich Froebel Fund.

Friedrich and the first Kindergarten

This book for children in English, German and Spanish by Johannes Froebel Parker is fostered and promoted by Friedrich Froebel Fund.

Discover how creative play and active learning became integral to education and the origins of the global intiative to design precision beechwood building blocks for children that have won international praise from Architects.

The First Review

Bishop Schwarz writing that it is more than a Childrens book....much more...it is the history of the homeland. It is the fruit of that blessing which Friedrich Froebel received in his time. Now it should bring joy and blessing for new generations. I am fully convinced that this good spirit will touch and inspire not only childrens' hearts but those of adults. The joy will also inspire you.

Lieber Johannes, dieses Kinderbuch ist mehr, viel mehr. Es ist eingesammelte Geschichte Eurer Heimat. Es ist Frucht jenes Segens, den damals Friedrich Fröbel empfangen hat. Nun soll es für neue Generationen zur Freude und zum Segen werden. Ich bin der festen Überzeugung, dass dieser gute Geist Kinderherzen, aber Erwachsene ansteckt und entzündet. Die Freude wird Dich auch weiterhin beflügeln! Dein P. +Franz

Copies of this book may be ordered from the publisher using Paypal

Friedrich Froebel: His Life, Times and Significance

This book by Peter Weston for the general reader is an illustrated life of Friedrich Froebel that places him in the turbulent political and intellectual context of his times. It also identifies those aspects of his educational practice that are of enduring value in the contemporary world. Dimensions (in inches) 8.3 x 8.3 x 0.1

Download a free pdf version of this 24 page book 9 MB

This book may be obtained in the UK from National Froebel Foundation

The Froebel Gallery holds stock of this book and welcomes enquiries from parents, teachers and schools. Wholesale orders may also be supplied to museums.

Books about Friedrich Froebel and creative play

Play is the work of Children

Extracts from the writings of Friedrich Froebel about playing with blocks and other Froebel Gifts.

A selection of books by Friedrich Froebel and modern authors about playing with blocks and building are available to browse and buy online at Froebel Web store in association with Amazon.com