4 Reflective activity

NICOLA KEMP: Why are Froebel's ideas relevant today?

SACHA POWELL: Good question. I think the first thing to say is that Froebel's ideas have never stopped being relevant, but I think they're especially relevant today because we're facing so many crises. Froebel has always promoted unity within connectedness with our natural environment, and our important relationships with the natural world, starting from birth.

And of course, with the climate crisis and our need to focus on preserving and protecting biodiversity, Froebel's ideas are highly relevant, and those ideas need to begin in the early years. I think also that we've got quite fragmented societies and we've got very unequal societies. And Froebel very much promoted equality and diversity within his broad concept of unity. And so more than ever, I think Froebel's ideas matter for 21st century early childhood education.

Families are becoming more disperate. And particularly, when we see migration and families travelling from areas of conflict, it's important to think about children's relationships which Froebel always stressed. And their prior experiences starting with the child. They know what matters to them, and often, that's family, culture, heritage, genealogy, and all those things are part of Froebel's philosophy.

I think one other thing that's hugely important is play. Of course, Froebel stressed play and play in nature as well. And I think that we now have so much research that tells us from all different fields about the value of play. And early childhood educators have always known about the value of play.

But there is categorical evidence about its importance and its value for children, which really supports Froebel's original ideas at a time where there wasn't the same kind of research that we have now or the kinds of evidence. So it confirms what Froebel believed about play being a central integrating mechanism in children's lives and learning.