Book titled 'Floor Games' by HG Wells, London, England, 1911

Margaret Lowenfeld's personal copy of "Floor Games" by HG Wells, the book that inspired the creation of the Lowenfeld World Technique, published 1911. Located at Science Museum Library at Wroughton at shelfmark: 793.8 WELLS

'Floor Games' was written by best-selling author and social philosopher Herbert George Wells (1866-1946). He is better known as H. G. Wells. He wrote it in response to watching his children create imaginary worlds using toys and building blocks. It highlights the importance of imaginative play on childhood development. ‘Floor Games’ was published in 1911.

It inspired psychologist Margaret Lowenfeld to develop the ‘Lowenfeld World Technique’, where children were encouraged to use toys to create sand tray ‘worlds’. Lowenfeld (1890-1973) was a paediatrician. She became a pioneer of child psychology and psychotherapy. She recognised language is often unsatisfactory or even impossible as an expressive medium for children. This is particularly the case with traumatised children. She also recognised play is essential to their development. Her development and use of non-verbal play therapy for children remains influential.