Four of the Froebel gifts are a box containing blocks of various shapes. When the box is lifted above the blocks, the child sees a cube. The first experience of the gift is a perception of unity.
As the child becomes aware that the cube is assembled from a number of component blocks, the natural desire of the child is to remove blocks. As the cube is dismantled many different shapes are seen by the child.
Traditionally block play was done on a surface with a one inch square grid. On this surface the individual blocks could be arranged by the child to form patterns, or assembled to make models, or later be used to discover mathematical concepts. An important aspect of play was that all the blocks were used, which emphasised the unity between the original cube and the created forms.
Finally, the blocks were reassembled to form a cube. The child thus creating the whole from the parts. The box was then lowered onto the cube, concealing the blocks from view. For Froebel even packing up was part of the play.
In this process, the natural inclination of the child to perceive, investigate, and reassemble is the driving force of the play.
Froebel intended this play to be open ended as each of the block gifts presents endless possibilities for creativity and discovery. The trained teacher assisted the process by encouraging the child to talk about their experience. As the nineteenth century progressed the early pictures intended to illustrate some of the possibilities of the blocks were often used a patterns for the child to imitiate. This application was both contrary to Froebel's intention and contributed to the gifts falling into disuse.
"The gifts are intended to give the child from time to time new universal aspects of the external world, suited to a child’s development. A gift leads to discovery and insight. Each gift is, many-sided, universal enlisting the whole being of the child. Each gift should aid the child to make the external internal, the internal external, and to find the unity between the two."
Architects remain fascinated by the many elegant buildings that can be created using these blocks.
Browse a selection of Froebel Gifts
Mega Bloks are an interpretation of the same principles using modern materials
more about Blocks and Learning by Patricia Gaffney Ansel of Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute.
Copyright © 1998-2000 Froebel Web All Rights Reserved. froebelweb@yahoo.com
http://www.oocities.org/froebelweb/gifts/box.html