Kindergarten

Dictionary of British Education

A system of education for infants based on the ideas of Froebel.

Play is regarded as a natural means for children to learn, and games are used to develop body, mind and spirit. It has sometimes been pointed out that the ‘kindergarten’ (children’s garden) metaphor is misleading, especially if applied to older children. Whereas plants may grow naturally in a garden, the processes of children’s cognitive, social and moral development are much more complex than automatic ‘growth’.