KINDERGARTEN MATERIALS
The Kindergarten Gifts
Friedrich Froebel, after observing and studying thoughtfully the play
and playthings of little children, selected from among these, and
arranged in logical order, a certain series which should help develop
the little one in mind, body, and spirit through childlike play. This
series of related playthings is known as the kindergarten "gifts."
All children of all races play ball, and the first kindergarten gift to
be given, even to a very little child, consists of six soft worsted
balls in the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.
The second gift is an oblong box containing a wooden ball or "sphere," a
cube, and a cylinder, with several slender axles and beams to assist in
the little plays.
The third gift is a box containing a two-inch cube divided horizontally
and vertically into eight one-inch cubes.
The fourth gift is a similar cube divided horizontally into eight oblong
blocks.
The fifth gift is evolved from the preceding ones and is a five-inch
cube divided into inch cubes, half cubes, and quarter cubes.
The sixth gift is a cube of the same size divided so that it contains
cubes, oblongs, and plinths.
The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth gifts are derived from the
geometrical solids.
The seventh gift is derived from the geometrical surfaces, and consists
of wooden tablets in shapes of circles, squares, triangles, etc.
The eighth gift represents the geometrical line and is made up of wooden
sticks in lengths of one, two, three, four, five, and six inches. They
may be had in two thicknesses and either colored or uncolored.
The ninth gift, derived from the edge of the circle, consists of metal
rings, half rings, and quarter rings, in several sizes.
The tenth gift, derived from the geometric point, is the lentil.
Kindergartners differ as to the amount of emphasis to be placed upon the
geometric side of the "gifts," and as to whether or not they should
always be presented in a certain logical order. To appreciate their full
value the mother must read her Froebel or take a kindergarten course. We
give below some simple methods of using them, from which the child will
derive both pleasure and benefit. What follows should be entirely clear,
especially if the mother has the "gifts" before her as she reads.
=First Gift Balls= (_Rubber ball 1-1/2 inches in diameter_, _wool in six
primary colors_, _crochet-hook_)
These balls can be made by taking a _rubber_ ball and crocheting around
it a case of worsted; or a case can be crocheted and then stuffed with
loose wool or cotton. In the latter case to insure a good shape it is
well to crochet _over a ball_ till nearly finished; then take the rubber
ball out and fill with the cotton or wool and then complete the ball.
Then crochet a string about eight inches long and attach to the ball,
for suspending it. The ball can then be swung, raised, lowered, made to
hop like a bird, swing like a pendulum, revolve rapidly like a wheel.
The child may play that it is a bucket being raised or lowered. See how
steadily he can raise it.
The balls lend themselves to many color games.
1. Place them in a row, let one child blind his eyes, another one
removes one of the balls and the first one, opening his eyes, tries to
think which one is missing.
2. Let children observe the colors through a glass prism and try to
arrange balls in similar order. Ask child if he can tell which colors
are uppermost in the rainbow, the cold or the warm ones.
3. If the mother is sewing on a colored dress, let the child try to pick
out the ball resembling it in color.
4. Play hiding the ball, as in hide the thimble.
5. Play store, letting him tell you which ball will best represent a
lemon, an orange, a red apple, etc.
=Second Gift Plays=
Throughout his life, Froebel felt with keen pain all that was discordant
or inharmonious in human society. Beneath all differences and
misunderstandings lay, he believed, the possibility of adjustment, or
reconciliation. Relations most strained might be brought into harmonious
union. This great idea is typified by the second gift. The hard wooden
sphere is _round, curved from all points of view_, with no _angles_ or
_edges_, and is _easily moved_. The cube is a complete contrast to the
sphere, inasmuch as it _stands firmly_, has _flat faces_, _angles_, and
_edges_. The cylinder combines the characteristics and possibilities of
the other two. It has flat faces as well as a curved one, and can both
stand and roll. It forms a bond of connection between the other two
which at first sight seem irreconcilable.
Three of these forms have small staples inserted in side, edge, and
angle so that they may be suspended, swung, and revolved. There are also
perforations through each one admitting the insertion of the axles, when
needed for certain plays.
If an axle be put through cube or cylinder and it be revolved rapidly,
you can see, in the swift moving figure, the spirit, as it were, of the
other forms--an experiment fascinating to young and old.
A little imagination will turn the box in which these blocks come, into
a boat, car, engine, etc., pins, matches, tacks, wire, etc., being
called in as extras.
The little wooden beam may be placed across, held up by the axles and
upon this the blocks may be suspended as objects for sale in a store.
The box with its cover may be used to illustrate the three primary
mechanical principles, the pulley, or wheel, the inclined plane, and the
lever. The pulley is made by placing the cylinder on an axle, tying a
little weight to one end of a cord and drawing it up over the cylinder.
Let the child play the weight is a bucket of water being drawn up from a
well.
Play loading a boat and use the cover for a plank, inclined from the
deck to the ground, up which to roll a barrel (the cylinder).
Play that the cube is a heavy piano box and show how to raise it by
using a stick as a lever.
The students of a kindergarten training school made fine derrick cranes
with this box of blocks, and no two were exactly alike.
=Games with Second Gift Ball=
1. Let children sit crossed-legged on the floor in a circle and let one
child roll the ball across to another child. He in turn rolls it
straight over to some other child and so on.
2. Let one child sit in the center of a circle and roll the ball to each
child in turn, who rolls it back to him.
3. Let several children stand in the center of a ring and try to catch
the ball as it rolls swiftly by.
4. Let children stand in center and try to avoid being touched by the
ball as it rolls along.
5. Draw a circle on the floor and let the children try in turn to so
roll the ball that it will stop inside of the ring.
6. Place the cube in the center of the circle. Put the cylinder on top
of the cube and balance the sphere carefully upon the cylinder. Then let
the children try to hit this target with another ball.
Many are the lessons in self-control, fair play, patience and kindness
which the children practice in playing these simple games, in addition
to the physical exercise and training in alertness, in seeing correctly
and in acting quickly.
=Second Gift Beads=
Mrs. Hailmann, a kindergarten training teacher, some years ago added to
the "gifts" the so-called "second gift beads," much loved by wee
children.
These are perforated wooden beads in shape of the sphere, cube and
cylinder. They come in two sizes and may be had in colors or uncolored.
A shoe lace comes with them for stringing.
In delightful plays with these beads the child learns to distinguish
form and color, and has practice in simple designing.
At first let him have a number of different kinds and let him thread
them as he pleases. Observe him and see if, of his own initiative, he
will distinguish either form or color. After a while he will probably,
without suggestion, begin to string them in some sort of order--one
sphere, one cube, one sphere, one cube, etc. Two spheres, two cubes, two
cylinders, etc.
When he begins to see differences, give him two forms only and let him
arrange. Later give him others. Too many at first will be confusing.
Besides the stringing, these beads may be used in other ways. Make a
fence by putting two cubes and a sphere, one on top of the other for a
post, and then join these to similar posts by running toothpicks or
burnt matches through the perforations.
Place cubes and cylinders, one on top of another, and use as tree box
with tiny twig or elderberry branch for tree. If making a toy village of
blocks or cardboard, these little beads will make good lampposts.
=The Pegboard=
The pegboard, an additional gift devised by Mrs. Alice H. Putnam, can
also be had in two sizes, the large one to be preferred. The board is
perforated with holes at regular intervals and is accompanied with
colored pegs, which the child loves to insert in the openings.
He may arrange them in ranks for soldiers, according to color, two and
two, or four and four, learning thus to count.
A flower-bed with red flowers in one corner and green bushes in another
may be made.
He may play that the pegs are kindergarten children playing follow the
leader, some with red dresses, some with blue waists, etc.
A birthday cake with candles may be represented, or a line of telegraph
poles, if father has gone on a journey, and over the imaginary wires a
message may be sent.
The pegboard is also loved by very young children.
=Plays with the Other Gifts=
The third gift cubes may be built by the little child into houses,
furniture, wagons, etc. It is very simple, and yet when handling it the
child learns something of form and number and gains skill with his tiny
hands.
The fourth gift expresses "proportion." Each block is twice the length
of those in the preceding gift and half as high. He can build with it
objects impossible with the first divided cube. The two may often be
used in conjunction.
The fifth gift requires a decided increase in the child's powers of
coordination. He can make with it a very great variety of objects. Only
a kindergartner can appreciate its many possibilities.
The sixth gift lends itself peculiarly to buildings of a certain type.
It expresses less strength and more grace than the preceding ones.
In playing with these "gifts" under direction of a teacher, the child,
if making the grocery store, proceeds to make the counter, the scales,
the money desk, etc., in succession, and is not allowed to take the
first structure apart in disorderly fashion and then make the next one,
but is supposed to build the counter, or other article, by gradually
transforming the thing already made, removing the blocks in ones, or
twos, or threes in an orderly way. Each block is supposed to have some
relation to the whole. For instance if a shoe store has been made and
one unused block remains, it may represent the footstool used in such a
store.
Froebel thought in this way through simple play to help the child little
by little to feel the relatedness of all life.
=Seventh Gift Plays=
With the seventh gift tablets the child makes designs or "beauty forms,"
becoming familiar with certain geometrical forms and exercising his
powers of invention in pleasing design.
In using the tablets, which are in both light and dark stains, do not
give too many at first. Give him for instance one circle, representing a
picture of a ball, and let him lay a row of such for a frieze design for
a gymnasium.
Give a circle and four squares, and let him place one above, one below,
one to the right and one to the left, touching the circle. This will
suggest a unit for a tile for a playroom fireplace.
Tell him to change the top square so that its angle touches the circle;
then change the lower one in the same way; then the right, then the
left. This transformation gives an entirely new design.
The other tablets may be employed in the same way, the different kinds
of triangles offering opportunity for much variety.
=Eighth Gift Plays=
The sticks may be used in representing designs in which the straight
line prevails. The lines may be placed in vertical or horizontal
position. Sticks may be arranged as soldiers, standing two and two in
straight vertical lines; or as fences in horizontal position.
They may be classified as to length. Let the child sort them as wood for
the woodpile, putting together those of same length. Or play he is in
the store to buy a cane and sees those of different lengths, some for
men, some for children.
For designing give the child four sticks of one length and let him make
a square. Give him four of another length and let him make a larger
square. Then with these eight sticks let him make two oblongs of the
same size. Give him these exercises as puzzles, but do not let him play
with the sticks until he gets nervous in trying to keep them in
position.
=Play With Lentils=
These are necessarily few and simple. Let the child make circles,
squares, etc., by putting the lentils in rows. He can also represent the
mass of a tree's foliage by placing a number of the lentils in a mass.