What age did your DC watch the first harry potter

[ImFree2doasiwant]

I'm guessing 3.5 and 5 is too young.

Far, far, far too young.

My DDs watched Harry Potter films after they had read the books by themselves, which was around 10 for the first books.

Read them at 7/8 and then watched movies after so 8ish.

Both my ds' were around 5. We'd already read the book and neither are the sensitive or easily scared.

I guess my thinking is why you would want to do Harry Potter at age 5?

It isn't aimed at 5yos. The later books (and films which are 12 rated) certainly aren't aimed at 6&7 year olds.

So why start the series so young? What is to be gained?

There are so many books and films that are properly age appropriate, why rush to do HP so early before they can fully appreciate the magic of it all?

I think 5 is fine for the first one! 3.5 I don't think they'd be traumatised or anything but would be unlikely to sit through it all, maybe?

I'd be happy for my 7 year old to watch the first couple but he's not interested, his attention span is too short for such long films!

My 5yo has watched the first couple. He has read the first book and listened to the others on audiobook. He absolutely loves the whole series. He has been exposed to it through his sister who is 8 and has read all the books. I think it depends on the individual child but 5 shouldn't be automatically dismissed as too young.

5 or 6 for Dc1 but she was extremely realistic and mature... When I said I thought it might be too scary she said " oh for goodness sake I know it's just actors wearing costumes, it's not real" so I thought OK. And it was fine. It might not be the same with my younger two who are almost 4 as they are, one in particular, more scareable..I would hesitate in their case.. Depends on the child.

Harry Potter is an interesting challenge for parents. I was definitely the target audience - I was 11 when the first book was published and at university when the last one came out. They are a series written for a group of children/young adults growing and changing over the space of a decade. They get darker and more complex as the series goes on. The current trend seems to be for kids to binge read them at about age 7-8 but I’m not sure I’m on board with that for my kids.

As for the films - maybe have a watch yourself but almost certainly not appropriate for your 3.5yo. Even the opening sequence is quite scary for a young child.

My 3 year old is obsessed with Harry Potter, has been for a while now. My now 7 year old started asking to watch the films at 4, though was more interested in the first couple of films, as he's gotten older he watched the darker films, and has a good knowledge of the series of films, and a very good appreciation for them. My youngest will sit through the early films, though gets restless in the darker films and pops on and out watching bits. They are obsessed with all things Harry Potter.

My sisters children are similar ages and not interested in Harry Potter one bit. I suppose it depends on the child, and the family - as a family we all love Harry Potter, so children were exposed to books/movies etc through their parents.

My 7 year old DS has watched part of the first film but lost interest half way through. He loves the books, currently on book 4. I'm reading them to him at bedtime though which means I can skip the odd bit or modify anything I think might be too much for him.

Mine had started watching them around 5, but they are Harry Potter obsessed.

We tried to drag the later ones out so DS2 wouldn't get scared, but he's the least scared kid ever, he's 6 now and has been watching them all for well over a year.

Totally depends on your child's constitution though. The downside to watching long movies is having to explain what's happening...

DD was 7. Terrified and crying the whole night (I hadn't let her watch it because I knew it would scare her). DS was 9 and hadn't watched it purely because DD was always around. I'd read him the first couple of books though. I was really annoyed as I wanted to read them the books first and I wanted to watch the film with them.

I'd wait for the younger one to be 5 (I'm assuming that he's not sensitive)

The problem with watching #1 is that they'll want to watch the others and #3(?) onwards is much darker than the first 2.

Mine are 6 and 3 and they have watched the first one. 3 year old was playing mostly but my 6 year old loved it. Not watched the others with them though.

8 here and they love it!

How does a 3/5 year old become harry potter obsessed anyway!? Especially if not exposed to it... I'd focus on more age appropiate things. There really isnt a rush to grow up and they'll love the books/movies when they're old enough to get it! You don't want to ruin the experience for them at 8/9/10/11 by half watching them younger and half knowing the story!

My DD is 6 and I would not show it to her, as I think she’d be tightened and I want her to be able to enjoy it when she’s ready. I think I will start reading the first book to her a chapter a night maybe next year when she goes into Key Stage 2.

My now 6 year old was desperate to watch them last year not long before she turned 6 as some of the children she was friends with were obsessed with hp and she wanted to be able to join in conversations. I let her watch the first 3. She enjoyed them.

Ds was 6

I went to go and see the film when it first came out and I was four, nearly five. Didn't scare me and started my childhood obsession.

I wouldn't recommend showing them Prisoner of Azkaban onwards but the first two are fine for them at that age, I'd say. There's nothing scary, no swearing etc.

I think that it is a mistake to introduce it to them too soon. Yes, they might be physically able to watch the film or read the first book, but they won't be mature enough to get anywhere near as much out of it as they will if they read it when they are a bit older.

I watched the first one with my 6 year old but fast forwarded the scarier bits. I have no intention of watching the others for a while.
I would love to watch star wars with him, I think he'd mostly love it but there are just one or two bits I'm not happy with. Kids are all different though.

I think my DDs both really enjoyed seeing the books come to life, and they wouldn't have got that level of enjoyment if they had seen the films first or had the books read to them with bits skipped or modified.

With the later films, some things are unclear if you haven't read the books as background first.

I did just mean the first film .

They aren't harry potter obsessed, they don't know who he is. I'm just trying to think of family films to watch with them.

Younger child is not bothered about much, really not sensitive or easily scared.

DS1 was 6 when he started reading HP. We have watched some of the films, but my children have enjoyed reading the HP more than watching the films.