Susan Isaacs (1885-1948) is best known for her deep knowledge of child development and her detailed observations of young children. She was a strong advocate for children's play, particularly ‘open air’ play, and she believed that through this form of self-expression, children could safely release their feelings and work out how to deal with a range of emotions. This was revolutionary during the 1920s, in the buttoned-up society in which she lived. She founded Chelsea Open Air Nursery in 1928 and her philosophy lives on in the setting's ‘garden of imagination’, where children indulge in free-flow play and learning, indoors and out (see Case study).
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