We've begun a fundraising campaign for new episodes of the Garden of Children series. Please visit the Kickstarter project here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/froebel/garden-of-children-documentary-series-on-education and share the link with others who may be interested.

Children need outdoor play to test/learn their limits and develop safe habits. But how can teachers and parents minimize the risk while still encouraging this important behavior?

We're please to offer an outstanding 45-minute video course (and supplemental materials) on best practices to safely facilitate risky play by Rachel Larimore.

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Dr. Larimore is the founder/director of Chippewa Nature Center Preschool, and an internationally regarded expert on outdoor learning and risky play. She promotes nature-based early learning through Samara Early Learning.

The Garden of Children pilot episode is now available for viewing. We planned to take a single film to festivals and find a distributor there. This pilot episode proved we needed a series of episodes to properly tell the story, which we decided to release  directly here.

The 72-minute introductory episode sets the stage for the rest of the series and we think it shows the promise of what's to come. We're doing this on a shoestring budget, so we'll need to raise funds for future episodes. A rental fee seemed the best way to do this. Our main goal is for as many people to see it as possible, so please share the link.

We've also partnered with Childhood Education International, a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1892 as the International Kindergarten Union — the original Froebel Kindergarten teacher organization. Donations made to them with a request that funding go to our project allows donations to both qualify as tax deductible (consult your tax preparer) and support our...

The launch of this clearinghouse of information on Froebel education is a tribute Elizabeth Peabody and her work establishing Kindergarten here in America. She worked tirelessly to spread the word and find financial support for establishing schools around the country. Her speech in Springfield enlisted Milton Bradley and the rest, they say is history.

Our goal with FroebelUSA.com is a modern equivalent to Peabody's Kindergarten Messenger newsletter, highlighting the work of Froebel teachers and spreading the word about this amazing system. Her publication was the first English language material published in America. Along with her network of educational reformers (Bronson Alcott, Pauline Agassiz Shaw), Peabody changed the landscape of our country and economy. Kindergarten  is one of the secret factors in our dominance of the Industrial Revolution.