Vivian Gussin Paley
1929-2019

Vivian Gussin Paley lived till the age of ninety. During her lifetime, she made an enormous contribution to Early Years education across the world.

Vivian’s research has shaped the way we think about fantasy play and storytelling. Throughout her teaching career, Vivian reflected on the events of her classroom. She wrote thirteen books and numerous articles based on her observations of the children she worked with and on the significant role Storytelling and Story Acting played in her understanding of their needs.

In October 2019, a group of Vivian’s close friends from across the world, gathered in Chicago for a private memorial. During the weekend, we spoke of our desire to keep her legacy alive. This webpage is part of that legacy. We hope it will grow over the comings months and years to be a place of celebration for the work of Vivian Gussin Paley.

Vivian was patron to MakeBelieve Arts since we founded in 2002. Our Helicopter Stories curriculum is based entirely on her work. She will be forever missed by us all.