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In Gift 3, the two-inch cube of Gift 2 is now divided into eight 1" cubes. Froebel speaks about the single cube as "a part which is symbolic of the whole." Here, younger Kindergarten children are able to begin their exploration of rectilinear solids by seeing the cube divided. Froebel purposely limited the number of blocks to eight so as not to overwhelm a young child with too many pieces. This limited number forces a child to be more imaginative and representational in his/her constructions without the pressure to create realistic models. The solid wood slidetop box can also be used in the Gift play. The opening of the Gift is part of the "presentation," which starts the play with the whole and returns the blocks back to a whole when the play ends. |
