For K-12 schools and pre-schools

Free school licence until 31 March 2027

Short story films with no words that end with a question, not a moral. Register your school to use them in class, with a P4C debrief for teachers for every story.

  • Use every ThinkTalk Tales story in class
  • A P4C debrief for every story, sent on WhatsApp and email
  • Updates as new stories go live
  • No payment details asked
The monkey grips a banana inside a glass jar while the fruit seller watches, arms folded
Was the trap fair?
Watch on YouTube · 0:47
Start with The Monkey and the Jar: 47 seconds, no words, and a 45 to 60 minute class enquiry.
Free until 31 March 2027

Register your school

Takes about two minutes. We'll email your confirmation straight away.

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We use these details only to run your licence and send what you ticked. Unsubscribe any time.

How the free licence works

  1. 1Register your schoolFill in the form on this page. It takes about two minutes.
  2. 2Get your confirmationAn email confirms your licence and how to get started.
  3. 3Receive P4C debriefsOn WhatsApp and email, as each new story goes live.
  4. 4Use them until 31 March 2027In any class, at no cost. Before the pilot ends, we'll share options for 2027 to 28.

Inside a P4C debrief

Let Go: The Monkey and the Jar

In 47 seconds and without a word, this film asks some of philosophy's oldest questions. What does it mean to be free? When should we hold on, and when should we let go? The title says "let go", but in P4C that's a claim to test, not a lesson to deliver.

  • Length: 47 seconds
  • Words: none
  • In class: 45 to 60 minutes
  • Big ideas: freedom · letting go · fairness · cleverness · choice · point of view

Where to pause, and what to ask

The net lands on empty stone
0:17 · The net lands on empty stoneWhat will the seller do now? What would you do if you were him?
The fruit seller smiles: he has an idea
0:20 · The seller smiles: an idea!What do you predict his idea is? What makes you think so?
The monkey stares at its fist inside the jar
0:39 · The monkey stares at its fistWhat might the monkey be thinking? Does it know it could let go? Why doesn't it?

Question ladder: freedom

Climb from what children can see to what philosophers still argue about. Stop at the rung that fits your class.

  1. 1Could the monkey get its hand out? How?
  2. 2Was the monkey held by the jar, or by the banana?
  3. 3Was the monkey free, even before the net came down?
  4. 4Can you be trapped by something you want?
  5. 5Is freedom the absence of obstacles, or mastery of your own desires?

A session plan for every age

  • Pre-schoolFeelings, fairness and "just let go!"
  • Ages 5 to 7Reasons, rules and "it depends"
  • Ages 7 to 11Definitions, distinctions and counter-examples
  • Early teensParables, persuasion and the jars in our pockets
  • Older students, staffAn old trap, many philosophies

Also in the debrief

  • Warm-ups, like "Trap or not a trap?"
  • Activities: three hoops, freeze frames, philosophical chairs
  • Printables: question cards, story sequencing, a reflection sheet
  • Links across subjects: drama, writing, maths, science, digital life
  • Care notes for children facing hunger, loss or feeling trapped

Fits what you already teach

CBSE · NEP 2020Life skills: critical thinking and decision-making
Value educationSelf-control: knowing when to hold on and when to let go
SEL (CASEL)Self-management and responsible decision-making
P4CCritical and caring thinking

Questions from schools

Is it really free?

Yes. Any K-12 school or pre-school that registers can use ThinkTalk Tales in class at no cost until 31 March 2027.

What happens after 31 March 2027?

We'll write to you before the pilot ends with options for 2027 to 28. We don't ask for payment details, so nothing is charged automatically.

Do our teachers need P4C training?

No. Each debrief walks a teacher through the session step by step: where to pause, what to ask at each age, and how to keep the talk going.

Which ages are the stories for?

The films are made for ages 4 to 11. The debriefs include session plans from pre-school up to older students.

How will you use our details?

Only to run your licence and to send the P4C debriefs and updates you ticked. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Bring the monkey to your classroom

Register once. Use every story, free, until 31 March 2027.

Register your school