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Original poster

At what age did you take children to cinema for first time?

34 replies

canadianmum · 04/02/2006 20:47

Hello everyone,

I have 3 year old twin boys and have never taken them to the cinema. Can you please share your experiences of taking young children to the cinema, good and bad ones please!

Advice thankfully received....

Many thanks!!

OP posts:
fairydust · 04/02/2006 20:48

we took dd on her 3rd birthday one friday afternoon all that was in the cinema was me dh dd and another couple and child saw a shortish film 60 mins and dd really enjoyed it - we sat on the front row so she could sit on the floor if she wanted

lucy5 · 04/02/2006 20:49

I took dd to see nemo just before she was 3, she loved it. My advice is dont let them know there is a toilet or you will be up and down every two minutes.

emily05 · 04/02/2006 20:50

ds is fine as long as he has popcorn! he is 3

kid · 04/02/2006 20:50

DD went with her Reception class so she would have been 4. She was a bit upset that they turned all of the lights out but she sat quietly and watched the whole film.

DS went with his nursery when he was 3 and enjoyed the film, he did get a bit chatty before it started but soon settled down.

Posey · 04/02/2006 21:04

Dd was about 6, but she was a lot older than most of her friends who had been at around 4 years. I know my 3 year old ds would find it just too loud.

chipkid · 04/02/2006 21:10

ds was 4 went to see wallace and grommit. Huge amount of loud adverts beforehand. Ds was upset by the dark and the noise-we had to leave half way throught the film he had just had enough

mykidsmum · 04/02/2006 21:15

Took my 2 and a half year old to see clifford, loved it, but did get wriggly towards the end, didn't take my twins until they were four though!

mazzystar · 04/02/2006 21:30

3 months! breastfed my way through the incredibles and ocean's twelve - our local arts cinema has special parent and baby screenings.

Now he is 15 mo, we go every month or so - wallace and gromit, march of the penguins etc. he is good as gold, but invariably drops off towards the end of the movie....

WideWebWitch · 04/02/2006 21:35

It was Shrek so when was that? Ds born 97 and he enjoyed it. He was so light we had to hold the seat down for him, bless!

TambaTheTemptress · 04/02/2006 21:37

I took ds the other week...he is 3.5 and he loved it

mancmum · 04/02/2006 21:45

DS-- aged 2.5 to see Shrek.. he enjoyed it
DD -- aged 3 months to see Johnny Depp film... she loved it!

LIZS · 04/02/2006 21:46

ds about 18 months to see Tigger Movie and dd 4 to see Wallace and Gromit.

ladymuck · 04/02/2006 21:47

Ds1 was 3. Bring a spare adult though for loo trip etc.

spursmum · 04/02/2006 21:54

Took ds to see The Piglet movie at 18 months. He fell asleep 5 minutes in and woke up 5 minutes from the end!!

Original poster
canadianmum · 06/02/2006 19:52

Thank you so much for all of your replies!

I love the cinema and am now really keen to try and take them soon. Good advice about not telling them about the toilet, my two are fascinated by "strange" toilets (Yeuccch!).

I will let DH know that not all parents wait until their children are 8 before taking them out in public .

OP posts:
tammybear · 06/02/2006 20:09

I took my dd to see Madagascar when she was 2 and a half. She didn't like the lights going down, but once it started, she loved it. Although towards the end of it, she got curious about the lights on the steps and ended up sitting on them as we were on the end by the aisle. And she also started shouting "look at the lion and the zebra mummy" every so often. hehe

Just make sure you have plenty of stock equipped with you as in food and drink, and warn them about the lights going down if you think it will worry them. And a trick I did with dd was that everytime the advert for it came out, I pointed it out to her to see her reaction, and knew that she'd be fine watching it

bobbybobbobbingalong · 06/02/2006 20:17

Took ds to see Hitchikers Guide to Galaxy at 2.5 complete with towel.

We always go to Mums and Bubs sessions because they keep the lights on a little bit.

Lonelymum · 06/02/2006 20:21

My parents took dd, then aged nearly 3 I think, to see Finding Nemo with her older brothers (at the time, 5 and 7). That was the first time any of them had been to the cinema and my parents said she was fine. I think the issue is, will the child be able to sit through the whole film? Never a problem with dd!

sandyballs · 15/02/2006 14:09

Took my DDs to see Nemo when they were 2.5. My friend paid about £20 for us all to get in, the film started, the girls got hysterical because it was all so loud, and we all trouped out again

Kidstrack2 · 15/02/2006 14:14

ds was 3, now that dd is approaching that age in May I may take her to see something in school holidays

skerriesmum · 15/02/2006 14:48

We took ds on Sunday to Curious George. He's only just three and found it hard to sit all the way through, we went out a couple of times. Also he wanted to run up and down the aisle! We're waiting now till the summer to try it again!
It's not so much the length of the main film as all the ads, previews etc. beforehand. There was at least 20 minutes of screen stuff before the movie started!

uwila · 15/02/2006 14:54

I was thinking of taking DD to see Chicken Little. She will be 3 in March. I mentioned it to DH and he said, "You're on your own for that one. Good luck."

But I think she'll be okay... at least I hope!

ditsymum · 05/03/2006 12:01

My DS is 3 ½ and loves Ice Age he has the DVD I am planning on taking him for the first time to see Ice Age 2 we have seen the trailer on the computer. I was advised by my sister in law to make sure that you go in just aafter the ads have finished so they just see the movie and reduces the time for them to sit. I cannot wait to take him and if this is sucessful theri is anothermovie Cars from the makers of Finding Nemo that looks like fun and as my son is a typical boy mad on cars he may go for it
Grin

ditsymum · 05/03/2006 12:08

\link{url\disney.go.com/disneypictures/cars/

hope thisworks first time done this

DominiConnor · 05/03/2006 12:41

2 yo goes quite happily, and is regarded as a major treat by the nearly 5yo.
I think you make life easier for yourself by bringing your own food. High sugar drinks and sweets don't make for good behaviour in this environment. BOth get filled rolls to chomp on, and milk in non-spill cups. Boxes of raisins are good too.
We try to go to the earliest possible showing, less crowded, and kids in better mood.

Chicken Little is pretty good, 2 & 5 loved it, and 45 yo dad chuckled more than once.
Madagascar was OK, but there simply wasn't the "plot density" of Shrek or Chicken Little.
Most cinemas do birthday parties, and I think we'll be doing that as well. Some kids have never been.

What's interesting is what they find "scary". 4/5 yo gots scared at the chases in the Magic Roundabout, and "tension" in general seems to have a lot more effect than we expected.
4/5 yo hates bad people, a lot. Of course "bad" is highly subjective, 2yo thinks Darth Vader is really good.