Why Children Need the Classics: Plato, Da Vinci, Socrates, and the Art of Raising Thinkers

An Armitage House Reflection on Wonder, Wisdom, and the Great Books

There are moments in a child’s life when wonder opens like a doorway — wide, bright, irresistible. At Armitage House, those moments are everything. They’re the heartbeat of our learning. The spark behind every experiment. The glow behind every story.

But long before glow-in-the-dark DNA and project-based learning, there were teachers who shaped how humanity thinks.

Plato. Socrates. Aristotle. Leonardo da Vinci.
The great minds — the original explorers of imagination and inquiry.

Their ideas didn’t live in classrooms.
They lived in marketplaces, studios, gardens, walking paths, and notebooks stained with ink.

And for children, the classics offer something extraordinary: a chance to learn how to think, not what to think.

This is why at Armitage House, philosophy and the classics are not luxuries.
They’re foundations.

They’re how we grow minds that are alive, curious, courageous, and brilliant.

A Seed of Wonder — Planted by the Great Thinkers

My love for the classics didn’t begin with a textbook.

It began the same way Armitage House began —
in awe, in curiosity, in a question whispered by a child.

When my son was born, I promised myself something:
I would raise him to think with clarity, imagination, and courage.

Not to memorize facts.
But to question.
To observe.
To wonder.

During pregnancy, I studied how children learn.
While feeding him at midnight, I read Aristotle’s ideas about virtue.
During naptimes, I revisited Plato’s Republic.
While folding tiny socks, I found myself underlining passages from Da Vinci’s notebooks about curiosity.

I realized something profound:

The great thinkers of history were not distant giants — they were children once.
Curious. Messy. Imaginative. Unafraid to ask “Why?”

And suddenly, it became obvious.

If I wanted to nurture a mind capable of great things,
I needed to bring the great minds into our home.

Not in an academic, rigid way —
but in a playful, human, wonder-filled way.

Why the Classics Matter for Children

1. They Teach Children How to Think

Socrates never told anyone what to believe.
He asked questions until the truth revealed itself.

Children naturally think this way.
Socratic conversation honors their nature.

A simple question like “What makes a hero?”
can lead to a 30-minute waterfall of ideas.

This is philosophy for children —
not heavy, not abstract, but profoundly alive.

2. They Build Inner Strength and Character

Aristotle teaches that habits shape who we become.

When children read stories about courage, fairness, honesty, or perseverance,
they begin to shape their own moral compass.

Philosophy is not just ideas.
It’s practice.
It’s character.
It’s self-mastery.

3. They Ignite Creativity

Leonardo da Vinci saw no separation between art and science, imagination and observation.

He sketched flying machines from watching birds.
He studied anatomy to understand beauty.
He asked questions no one had ever asked before.

Children LOVE this way of learning.

They see a leaf and ask why its veins look like tiny rivers.
They watch water swirl down a drain and wonder where it goes.

Da Vinci’s spirit matches their own.

4. They Strengthen Logic and Reason

Plato and Aristotle laid the foundations of logic —
patterns, categories, definitions, cause and effect.

When children learn these simple structures,
their thinking sharpens.

They become stronger problem-solvers, scientists, writers, and inventors.

5. They Inspire Lifelong Curiosity

Every great thinker was driven by wonder.

And in a world of screens and shortcuts,
wonder needs defenders.

The classics protect children from shallow thinking
and offer them the depth their minds crave.

The Armitage House Way — Where Philosophy Becomes Play

At Armitage House, philosophy isn’t an academic subject.
It’s a living part of our learning ecosystem.

We explore the classics through:

✨ Child-led discussions
✨ Storytelling (Mia included!)
✨ Hands-on experiments that mirror Da Vinci’s spirit
✨ Creative thinking games
✨ Art, invention challenges, and observational walks
✨ Mini “Socratic Circles” at the kitchen table
✨ Books, journals, and wonder prompts

We treat Plato not as a distant author,
but as a teacher walking beside us.

We treat Da Vinci not as a historical figure,
but as a creative partner whispering, Try it. Test it. Imagine more.

We treat Socrates not as a philosopher,
but as a guide saying, Ask better questions.

Why This Matters — A Child’s Mind Is a Universe in Motion

Childhood is not a waiting room before real thinking begins.

It is the birthplace of thinking.

The classics help children:

• develop clarity
• grow confidence
• understand themselves
• think deeply
• imagine boldly
• and question courageously

This is the education of world-changers.
This is how inventors are born.
This is how children learn to lead with both heart and logic.

And it begins with wonder.

A Movement of Wonder — Across Generations

At Armitage House, we are building something bigger than curriculum.

We are building a movement.

One that honors children as thinkers, creators, and philosophers.
One that brings ancient wisdom into modern homes.
One that nurtures the next Da Vinci, the next Marie Curie, the next Einstein, the next Plato — hiding inside a six-year-old with big questions.

Learning should feel magical and meaningful.
The classics make that possible.

From Our House to Yours

Whether you are a homeschool family, a classroom teacher, or a parent guiding a child’s imagination after school, you belong in this movement.

We invite you to explore the classics with us — playfully, joyfully, creatively.

As Albert Einstein reminded us,

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

And here at Armitage House,
imagination always leads.

Keep sparking wonder,
Your Armitage House Family