Frank Caplan, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Frank Caplan

American businessman

Date of Birth: 10-Jun-1911

Place of Birth: Kingston upon Hull, England, United Kingdom

Date of Death: 28-Sep-1988

Profession: businessperson

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Frank Caplan (June 10, 1911 – September 28, 1988) was a youth worker, educator, folk toy collector, and pioneer in developing and manufacturing educational toys for children.
He co-founded Creative Playthings in 1945 with his wife Theresa, and worked with artists, architects, and designers, such as Isamu Noguchi, Louis Kahn, Henry Moore, Robert Winston, and the Swiss toymaker, Antonio Vitali, to create innovative educational play objects and playground designs for children.
By the 1950s, Creative Playthings had gained international recognition and expanded to become one of the most important manufacturers and suppliers of materials for early childhood education.
In 1975, Frank Caplan founded The Princeton Center for Infancy and Early Childhood.
He researched and co-authored a national bestselling series on early childhood development with Theresa Caplan, which included, The First Twelve Months of Life (1977), The Second Twelve Months of Life (1978), and The Early Childhood Years: The 2 to 6 Year Old (1983).
Together they also co-authored The Power of Play (1973).
He was one of the first male nursery school teachers in the U.S.
and together with Theresa Caplan collected over 50,000 American and international folk toys, folk art, and contemporary playthings, which in 1984 the couple donated to The Children's Museum of Indianapolis for a permanent gallery on folk, fantasy, and play.