Both Montessori and Froebel designed their own set of materials and resources to enable children to learn. Montessori’s diadactic materials were based on Frobel’s gifts. Montessori was the first person to use child-sized furniture in classrooms. Her first school, the Casa del Bambini or ‘House for Children’ was designed so that all the educational materials would be accessible to the children. Child sized furniture is an essential part of an early years setting in today’s practices to create a safe learning environment for the children to play. Both Steiner and Froebel believed in free play where the child has the opportunity to choose the focus of the play without constant interference or involvement by an adult. Montessori on the other hand, believed in a more structured play. Structured play is adult led, guided and planned. Both types are plays are widely used in today’s early years settings. Montessori and Steiner both believed that children pass through particular developmental stages, which they believed, were essential for the child to be able to learn. Montessori developed a structured education based on these stages, including a number of specially devised pieces of equipment. Steiner’s developmental stages were known as the three phases of childhood. In conclusion all three of these early years theorists have helped everyone working with children, past and present, to move forward, and maybe if people like these had not been prepared to stand up and fight for the rights of what children need, we may still be treating children as mini adults.>