Play & Learn
Watching my young son create art and build with toy blocks—while joining in myself—has rekindled my passion for making and led me to creative pursuits.
Below are resources that have supported my son’s creativity, enriched my parenting journey, and inspired my art and design practice.
Froebel's Gifts
Educational play materials for young children, originally designed by Friedrich Froebel in the 1830s for the first kindergarten.
These "toys" are credited with influencing renowned 20th-century designers and artists like Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Gego, Paul Klee (and many more).
Resources
Books
Architecture in Play: Intimations of Modernism in Architectural Toys. (2015). Tamar Zinguer.
Eames: Beautiful Details. (2012). Eames Demetrios.
Interaction of Color. (1963). Josef Albers.
Inventing Kindergarten. (1997). Norman Brosterman.
The Design of Childhood: How the Material World Shapes Independent Kids. (2018). Alexandra Lange.
The Elements of Color. (1970). Johannes Itten.
The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being. (2018). Simone Davies.
Websites + Online Resources
Toys
Froebel's Gifts at Red Hen Toys
Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through them.
Thank you for supporting my creative journey!