This article presents a theoretical comparative study of the pedagogy developed by Friedrich Froebel versus activity theory (Leontyev, Elkonin and Vygotsky) concerning play and child development. While both approaches consider play as a very important activity in a child's development, they differ in their view of the meaning of play within the context of the individual formation process. This divergence is a consequence of opposing conceptions of the relationship between human nature and history.
Play; Froebel; Elkonin; Leontyev; Activity theory