▁thus ▁introduced ▁an ▁educational ▁environment ▁into ▁his ▁school , ▁in ▁contrast ▁to ▁other ▁earlier ▁infant ▁establish ments , ▁and ▁is ▁therefore ▁cred ited ▁with ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁kind er gart ens . ▁ ▁Women ▁trained ▁by ▁Fr ö bel ▁opened ▁kind er gart ens ▁throughout ▁Europe ▁and ▁around ▁the ▁world . ▁The ▁first ▁kind erg arten ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁Wat ert own , ▁Wisconsin ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 6 ▁and ▁was ▁conducted ▁in ▁German ▁by ▁Marg are tha ▁Meyer - Sch urz . ▁ ▁Elizabeth ▁Pe ab ody ▁founded ▁the ▁first ▁English - language ▁kind erg arten ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 0 . ▁The ▁first ▁free ▁kind erg arten ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁by ▁Con rad ▁Po ppen hus en , ▁a ▁German ▁industrial ist ▁and ▁phil anth rop ist , ▁who ▁also ▁established ▁the ▁Po ppen hus en ▁Institute . ▁The ▁first ▁public ly ▁fin anced ▁kind erg arten ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁St . ▁Louis ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁by ▁Susan ▁B low . ▁ ▁Canada ' s ▁first ▁private ▁kind erg arten ▁was ▁opened ▁by ▁the ▁Wes ley an ▁Method ist ▁Church ▁in ▁Char l ott et own , ▁Prince ▁Edward ▁Island , ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 0 . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁de cade , ▁they ▁were ▁common ▁in ▁large ▁Canadian ▁towns ▁and ▁cities . ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 2 , ▁The ▁country ' s ▁first ▁public