Philosophy Sessions For Children

Want to come to the Philosophy Now Celebration, but don’t know what to do with your kids? Bring them along – we have four philosophy sessions specifically designed to engage young minds courtesy of The Philosophy Foundation.

Spaces are limited for these sessions, so if you would like to attend any of them please email emma@thephilosophyshop.co.uk with your child’s name, age and the session/s you would like to attend. If there are no spaces remaining for the session you would like to attend Emma will let you know.

Parallel Session 1

11am-12pm Bertrand Russell Room
The Ceebie Stories: The Christmas Present
Ages 9 and under

The first session for the 9s and under will explore philosophy through an original story written by Peter Worley, of Jack and his robot friend Ceebie. The Ceebie Stories are a series of connected tales designed to explore issues surrounding artificial intelligence, and can be found in Peter’s book The If Machine: Philosophical Enquiry in the Classroom.

In this first session Jack is given a computer robot for Christmas and the session explores the big question that infuses all of the Ceebie story sessions: ‘Can a machine think?’

11am-12pm Conway Hall Stage
Philosophical Alchemy
Ages 9 and above

“Philosophy begins in wonder.” – Plato

“Philosophy is looking beyond what you see.” – Year 9 pupil

This session is designed to engage young people in the act of philosophising. It is an excellent introduction to doing philosophy for the first time. It takes something that seems obvious to begin and then as you think about it more deeply you will discover all the further possibilities that may lie hidden. This session should show the alchemical qualities of philosophy, turning one seemingly banal thing into something sparkling with interest and possibilities.

Parallel Session 2

2pm-3pm Bertrand Russell Room
Goldfinger
Ages 9 and under

It’s the time of year when wishes may come true – so be careful what you wish for! This session explores language and meaning through the story of King Midas and will have the children thinking about what makes them happy, the power of language and whether we can or should make wishes come true.

2pm-3pm Conway Hall Stage
The Disappearing Ball Trick
Ages 9 and above

When is a ball not a ball? This session tackles the big issue of existence and if you don’t believe a 9 year old can do this, then think again.