Is it a good idea to lift the front wheel to go through small bumps?
Potential for damage to wheels depends on sharpness of the bump, speed, bike and rider weight, tire volume and pressure, and how tough the wheels are.

Moving your weight back or pulling up on the bars will lessen the impact to the front wheel but will increase impact on the rear.

Large or sharp bumps are best avoided altogether. Standing on the pedals with bent knees and lifting your butt off the seat a little will allow the bike to move underneath you and absorb the impact.

You can also move your weight back as the front wheel goes over the bump then move weight forward as the back wheel goes over, but this gets harder to do as speed increases.