History of Kindergarten Timeline

(1837 - Present)

The history of kindergarten traces the development of early childhood education, beginning with German educator Friedrich Fröbel, who coined the term 'kindergarten' (children's garden) and opened the first such institution in 1837. His play-based, child-centered philosophy spread across Europe and America despite periods of political suppression, shaping modern preschool and early education systems worldwide. More Less

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Origins in Europe

Oberlin and Scheppler found early preschool in Strasbourg

1779

In 1779, Johann Friedrich Oberlin and Louise Scheppler founded in Strasbourg an early establishment for caring for and educating preschool children whose parents were absent during the day, one of the earliest known institutions of its kind.

Infant establishments created in Bavaria

1780

At about the same time as the Strasbourg founding, similar infant establishments were created in Bavaria in 1780, serving children whose parents both worked outside the home.

Princess Pauline zur Lippe establishes preschool center in Detmold

1802

In 1802, Princess Pauline zur Lippe established a preschool center in Detmold, the capital of the then principality of Lippe, Germany (now in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia).

Image source: Kindergarten

Robert Owen opens first infant school in New Lanark

1816

In 1816, Robert Owen, a philosopher and pedagogue, opened the first British and probably globally the first infant school in New Lanark, Scotland.

Samuel Wilderspin opens his first infant school in London

1819

Samuel Wilderspin opened his first infant school in London in 1819, and went on to establish hundreds more across Britain.

Image source: Samuel Wilderspin

Wilderspin publishes On the Importance of Educating the Infant Poor

1823

In 1823, Wilderspin published On the Importance of Educating the Infant Poor, based on his school, spreading ideas about early childhood education.

Countess Brunszvik opens first Angyalkert in Buda

May 27, 1828

Countess Theresa Brunszvik (1775–1861), who had known and been influenced by Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, opened an Angyalkert ('angel garden' in Hungarian) on May 27, 1828, in her residence in Buda, the first of eleven care centers she founded for young children.

Brunszvik establishes institute for foundation of preschool centers

1836

In 1836, Countess Theresa Brunszvik established an institute for the foundation of preschool centers, furthering the spread of early childhood care institutions.

Fröbel opens play and activity institute in Bad Blankenburg

1837

Friedrich Fröbel (1782–1852) opened a 'play and activity' institute in 1837, in Bad Blankenburg, in the principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, as an experimental social experience for children entering school.

Image source: Friedrich Fröbel

Fröbel opens play and activity institute in Bad Blankenburg

Emily Ronalds becomes first British person to study Fröbel's approach

1840

In 1840, the well-connected educator Emily Ronalds was the first British person to study Fröbel's approach, and he urged her to transplant his kindergarten concepts in England.

Fröbel coins the term Kindergarten

Jun 28, 1840

Friedrich Fröbel renamed his institute Kindergarten (meaning 'garden of children') on June 28, 1840, reflecting his belief that children should be nurtured and nourished 'like plants in a garden'. The term is an unadopted borrowing of the German word Kindergarten.

Caroline Wiseneder's music method adopted by German kindergarten movement

1873

Around 1873, Caroline Wiseneder's method for teaching instrumental music to young children was adopted by the national kindergarten movement in Germany.

Henriette Schrader-Breymann founds Pestalozzi-Fröbel Haus

1882

Henriette Schrader-Breymann founded the Pestalozzi-Fröbel Haus in 1882, where the first Swedish kindergarten teachers were trained.

Image source: Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi

Spread to North America

First kindergarten in the US founded in Watertown, Wisconsin

1856

The first kindergarten in the US was founded in Watertown, Wisconsin, in 1856, and was conducted in German by Margaretha Meyer-Schurz.

Elizabeth Peabody founds first English-language kindergarten in the US

1860

Elizabeth Peabody founded the first English-language kindergarten in the US in 1860, bringing Fröbel's ideas to English-speaking American children.

Image source: Elizabeth Peabody

Conrad Poppenhusen founds first free kindergarten in the US

1870

The first free kindergarten in the US was founded in 1870 by Conrad Poppenhusen, a German industrialist and philanthropist, who also established the Poppenhusen Institute.

Image source: Poppenhusen Institute

Canada's first private kindergarten opens in Charlottetown

1870

Canada's first private kindergarten was opened by the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, in 1870.

Susan Blow opens public kindergarten in St. Louis

1873

In 1873, Susan Blow established a pioneering public kindergarten in St. Louis, helping integrate kindergartens into the American public school system.

Image source: Susan Blow

First public-school kindergartens established in Berlin, Ontario

1882

In 1882, Canada's first public-school kindergartens were established in Berlin, Ontario (modern Kitchener) at the Central School.

Toronto Normal School opens department for kindergarten teaching

1885

In 1885, the Toronto Normal School (teacher training) opened a department for kindergarten teaching, professionalizing early childhood education in Canada.

Image source: Toronto Normal School

Elizabeth Harrison establishes National College of Education

1886

American educator Elizabeth Harrison wrote extensively on the theory of early childhood education and worked to enhance educational standards for kindergarten teachers by establishing what became the National College of Education in 1886.

Image source: National Louis University

Global Expansion

Australian kindergarten movement emerges

1890 - 1899

The Australian kindergarten movement emerged in the last decade of the nineteenth century as both a philanthropic and educational endeavour.

First free kindergarten in Australia established in Sydney

1896

The first free kindergarten in Australia was established in 1896 in Sydney, New South Wales, by the Kindergarten Union of NSW (now KU Children's Services) led by reformer Maybanke Anderson.

Image source: International Library of Children's Literature

Elvira García y García organizes first kindergarten in Peru

1902

In 1902, the teacher Elvira García y García organized the first kindergarten for children two to eight years old, the Fanning annex to the Lyceum for ladies.

About 80 kindergartens operating across Finland

1920

As early as 1920, there were about 80 kindergartens in operation across Finland, with a total of about 6,000 children attending.

Maternal schools established in Italy

1968

Maternal schools (scuola materna) were established in Italy in 1968 after State Law n. 444, providing preschool education for young children.

Italy institutes asilo nido through state law

1971

Italian asilo nido (nursery schools) were officially instituted in a 1971 state law (L. 1044/1971), and may be run by either private or public institutions.

Image source: Kindergarten

Soviet occupation introduces early childhood programs in Afghanistan

1980

Early childhood development programs were first introduced during the Soviet occupation with the establishment in 1980 of 27 urban preschools in Afghanistan.

Preschools in Afghanistan peak at more than 270

1990

The number of preschools in Afghanistan grew steadily during the 1980s, peaking in 1990 with more than 270 facilities.

Only 88 preschool facilities survive in Afghanistan

1995

By 1995, only 88 functioning facilities serving 2,110 children survived, and Taliban restrictions on female employment eliminated all of the remaining centers in areas under their control.

Afghanistan has about 260 kindergarten centers serving over 25,000 children

2007

In 2007, there were about 260 kindergarten/preschool centers in Afghanistan serving over 25,000 children, showing recovery from earlier declines.

Modern Compulsory Education

Mexico makes preschool education obligatory

2002

In 2002, the Congress of the Union approved the Law of Obligatory Pre-schooling, which made preschool education for three to six-year-olds obligatory, and placed it under the auspices of the federal and state ministries of education.

Philippines disseminates Kindergarten Education Act

2011

In 2011, the Department of Education disseminated copies of the Kindergarten Education Act through Republic Act No. 10157, formalizing kindergarten as part of basic education.

Kindergarten becomes compulsory in the Philippines

Jun 6, 2011

Education officially started at the elementary level, and placing children into early childhood education through kindergarten was optional until June 6, 2011, when Kindergarten became compulsory, serving as a requirement for the implementation of the K–12 curriculum.

Romania's preparatory school year becomes compulsory

2012

The 'preparatory school year' (clasa pregătitoare) is for children aged six–seven, and since it became compulsory in 2012, it usually takes place inside regular school classrooms and is considered 'year 0' of elementary education.

France makes school compulsory at age three

2018

It became compulsory in 2018 for all children aged three in France. Even before the 2018 law, almost all children aged three to five attended école maternelle.

Image source: Education in France

Last year of kindergarten becomes compulsory in Romania

2020

Attending the last year of kindergarten became compulsory in Romania since 2020, extending mandatory early childhood education.

Key Facts

Friedrich Fröbel founded the first kindergarten in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg, Germany, coining the term meaning 'children's garden.'
Fröbel developed educational 'gifts'—structured play materials like blocks and geometric shapes—to foster learning through hands-on activity.
Prussia banned kindergartens from 1851 to 1860, mistakenly viewing Fröbel's methods as politically subversive.
Margarethe Schurz opened the first American kindergarten in 1856 in Watertown, Wisconsin, teaching in German, while Elizabeth Peabody established the first English-speaking one in Boston in 1860.
Kindergarten became integrated into public school systems in the late 19th and 20th centuries and is now a standard part of early childhood education worldwide.

Source

This History of Kindergarten timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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