Les Bateaux Nathalie Parain La mer est calme, les bateaux rentrent au port. Taken from Je Decoupe, her 1931 Album du Pere Castor, a landmark children’s book, exploring constructivist principles for children, based on the emerging new European educational ideas from Piaget, Montessori, Steiner in which children were encouraged to become active learners. These were books to be taken apart, cut up & enjoyed. Understandably few survived. #jedecoupe #cutupbooks #constructivism #modernist #modernism #piaget #childcentred #nathalieparain #boats #yachts #perecastor

Abbatt Toys Freda Skinner An early tray puzzle from Abbatt, designed by Freda Skinner, a pupil of Henry Moore. Abbatt Toys were amongst the most progressive of the pre-war toy manufacturers deeply influenced by the Modern European Child Educationalists and by their own Quaker beliefs. #modernism #abbatttoys #progressiveeducation #childcentred #childdevelopment #therighttoyfortherightage

Pull-along sheep Nathalie Parain Lithographed rear cover of Bonjour Bonsoir, the 1934 activity book designed by Parain to help your children to sequence their day with word and picture association games. Techniques commonly in practice with S&L therapists who use visual diaries to help children with ASD structure their day. The Pere Castor series were deeply influenced by the new educationalists such as Piaget and Bakule in the design and ethos of their activity books. Years ahead of anything produced in the U.K., with the exception of Abbatt Toys perhaps. #perecastor #piaget #childcentred #childdevelopment #woodentoys #abbatttoys @speak_and_play #nathalieparain

Uninterrupted #play is the holy grail of #learning but the prerequisite is the #freedom to engage. #homeschool #Jamaica #organiclearning So far two 2 hour blocks of time have been invested in this #rocketship #painting #attaching #designing #focussing #planning #math #art this model has stripes, a window, a tv and a toy compartment and it's not done yet :) four hours in one day #childcentred