Little Thinkerphilosophy for children

Philosophy for children 5–12

Big questions,
cut down to size.

One idea per page. One philosopher per page. No answers at the bottom — just better questions, and things to try at the kitchen table.

01Meet the philosophersthirty-three people who asked too many questions02Start with a big ideaFairness, time, truth, courage and fifty more
Origin and annals of "The Old south," First Presbyterian church and parish, in Newburyport, Mass., 1746-1896 (1896) (14748164586).jpg
A reading room, from an old engraving
Gerardo Mercatore - Gerardus Mercator.jpg
A world map drawn when much of it was still unknown
Noctua minima.jpg
An owl, from an 18th-century natural history plate

Illustrations from Wikimedia Commons — see every image credit.

Three to start with

All 33 →
Marble bust of Socrates in the LouvreSocrates469 BCE – 399 BCEAthens, GreeceWhat does it mean to live a good life?Hypatia of Alexandria in a 19th-century paintingHypatia350 – 415Alexandria, EgyptCan numbers explain the sky?Traditional portrait of ConfuciusConfucius551 BCE – 479 BCELu, ChinaHow should we live well together?

Start with a big idea

All 54 →
How to Live · ages 6–8What is fair?Two kids share one cake. One is hungrier. One did the work. How should it be cut? How We Know · ages 7–10How do you know if something is true?Everyone you know believes something. Does that make it true? What Is Real · ages 7–10Why does time speed up and slow down?Ten minutes in a boring lesson. Ten minutes of your favourite game. Same ten minutes?

A story, told out loud

All 12 →
An old engraving of people sitting in a dark cave, watching shadows on the wall

Plato, The Republic

The Cave

What if you had never seen anything but shadows?

Ages 8–12

A 1666 engraving of a shepherd boy calling out, with a wolf among the sheep

Aesop

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Who believes a liar when they finally tell the truth?

Ages 5–8

A Victorian illustration of a fox leaping up at a grape vine

Aesop

The Fox and the Grapes

Have you ever decided you didn't want something — the exact moment you couldn't have it?

Ages 6–9

How every page works

  1. The questionOne line any child can hold in their head.
  2. The storyA real philosopher, a real problem, no jargon.
  3. Try itTwo minutes, a sheet of paper, something to do.
  4. Talk about itThree questions with nothing printed underneath.

Reading this with a class? Start here →