The story below by the french children's story book writer Anne Bertier reminds me of Froebel's abstracted geometries for teaching children the "essence" or basic "building blocks" of the natural world.
It is a story that also speaks to adults - teaching basic fundamentals to perhaps more complex notions.
It is the story of two friends, Little Round and Big Square who get together every Wednesday to play a game.
A game of association and transformation, where "as soon as one of them says a word, they transform themselves into it."
But the fun abates when Little Round begins to feel littler and insufficient, as Big Square begins to parade a repertoire of words beyond Little Round's capabilities.
They form a rift and go to opposite sides of the room.
However, soon they realise that if they work together, they can form an endless array of images....
Not only is the story a simple but poignant portrayal for the way we transform the building blocks of life, but also shows that whether we are big or small (age or otherwise) - each has something to offer.
Via Brain Pickings.