This book presents a scientific examination of the reform pedagogy of Emmi Pikler and Maria Montessori in the context of free play. The aim of the study is to outline the guidelines for optimal education developed by Emmi Pikler and Maria Montessori, compare them, and evaluate them based on scientific research. The fundamental question is what details parents and educators need to pay attention to in children's free play in order to facilitate an ideal development of the child, and what benefits such an education can bring to the child. Using the method of content analysis, the relevant concepts are introduced to illustrate the educational assumptions. Furthermore, the parallels and differences in the educational theories of Pikler and Montessori are discussed.