Crystal Engineering in Kindergarten

Friederich Froebel, a nineteenth century educator trained as a crystallographer, invented kindergarten. Froebel's background in crystallography infused every aspect of his conception of kindergarten, especially the self-actuated learning devices or "gifts" that were the centerpiece of his curriculum. Froebel kindergartens spread rapidly throughout Europe, the United States, and Japan in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Crystal engineering was thus a primary occupation of millions of children in the first several kindergarten generations.