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Films

Related: TV discussion forum.

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Original poster

First trip to cinema- how old?

87 replies

Shadowboy · 16/03/2017 10:48

Roughly how old were your kids when they went to the cinema for the first time?
Did they sit through a full movie ok?

OP posts:

Original poster

Shadowboy · 16/03/2017 13:41

How noisy are theirs screenings? My daughter is 2.5 and loves a good Pixar type DVD but not sure if lots of noise will make it overwhelming?

OP posts:

MiddleClassProblem · 16/03/2017 13:44

I thin the baby Ines are reduced sound but not sure about toddler showings but have a look at your local cinema, both chains and I dependents do this now so see if there are any local to you.

Also check out the Mickey Mouse one I mentioned up thread as it's free but you need to pre book x

Enko · 16/03/2017 13:48

Dd1 was 2 1/2 when i toom her to see the tigger movie. Shews quite unimpressed to begin with through the ads etc. Then Tigger ce on she let out a surprised "ohhhh" sat down and was glued to the screen from that moment. Looked at me with stars in her eyes after havong completely loved every minute.

Was the start of her ever lasting film love. She is 19 now and still loves the cinema

Dd2 was a baby and has always been fine

MusicToMyEars800 · 16/03/2017 13:50

4yo and she was fine with it, toilet trips before going in limit drinks and be armed with sweets etc I agree with going when it's cheaper, in half terms and at weekends vue cinemas do mini mornings for £2.49 a ticket for kids and adults.

onemouseplace · 16/03/2017 13:53

Mine were at least 4 - I wanted them to be able to sit through a full length children's film at home first.

DD2 is 2.5 now and I can't imagine taking her to the cinema, she would be up and down like a bloody yoyo and wanting to wander around all over the place.

WanderingTrolley1 · 16/03/2017 13:55

3/4

1bighappyfamily · 16/03/2017 13:59

DD2 was 22 months, DD1 was just 3. It was to see Inside Out. They both sat through it beautifully.

They love the cinema. They saw Moana during half-term without me and last night (so four weeks later) regaled me with the full story while we listening to the soundtrack during dinner.

Both are very active children but the cinema (and theatre) just enchants them.

MyHomeHasPeculiarChildren · 16/03/2017 14:02

DD1 was nearly 3 & was fine, DD2 has been going with her big sister since she was a week old and now at 2.5 will sit through the whole film usually.
We tend to stick to kids club showings though, people are less bothered by a bit of toddler noise and it's reasonably cheap if you need to leave.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 16/03/2017 14:28

Depends on the film too.
I took Ds1 with me to see Frozen at age 3 - held his attention pretty well but it was a matinee and there were only 3 other people in the cinema, so it didn't matter too much that he started to potter up and down the seats we were sitting in.
DS2 - he started much earlier but was more of a pain - took him with us to see Big Hero 6 when he was only 2 and, although he paid attention to some of it, he did start playing up and I had to take him out for a bit as well

So yes, depends on the film, what your child will engage with, and what they're like generally - but I would say not before 3.

oldwife · 16/03/2017 15:41

About 2. It was Thomas and the Magic Railroad.

He loved it (and for many years afterwards)

moggle · 16/03/2017 16:33

We took our 27 month old to see Beauty and the beast (the animated version) at our local 'family flicks' saturday morning session last weekend. I only thought DD would sit through about 20 minutes but she sat through all of it. The popcorn helped, and sitting on my lap (no booster seats left), and she had her dummy towards the end. It was mid morning and she was a bit tired I think. One good thing was that there were no trailers, and it only cost £2 each so a total bargain morning out! We're planning on doing it again, as our cinema is in the shopping centre so one of us can sit in there with her while the other does some shopping.

Having said that, I don't think she 'loved' it utterly as some other posters have said. She hasn't talked about it at all since, not like when we went to see Wow said the owl at the theatre and she talked about it for days after.

weeblueberry · 16/03/2017 16:36

DD1 is nearly 4 and I took her for the first time a fortnight ago. We went to a screening of Moana and, in hindsight, it was a bad move to go to something she didn't know about. She was fine with the scary bits but there was quite a prolonged 'emotional' section about 45 mins in and she got very teary and upset and kept asking to leave. Eventually we did. It was frustrating because I wanted her to get past it and see it was going to be happy at the end but she was just getting too upset. I'm sure she'd have sat through it apart from that though...

moggle · 16/03/2017 16:38

Oh I meant to add. DD won't sit through a whole film at home. In the cinema in the dark with no distractions she was glued to the screen. She asks to watch Frozen at home but always wanders off to find something else to do before the coronation. The only thing she will sit down for more than 15 minutes for is bloody Peppa.

Floralnomad · 16/03/2017 16:44

When we at the cinema the other day they were advertising a Peppa Pig movie , I think it's shorter than a normal film so ideal for a tiny persons first cinema experience , not sure when it comes out.

Witchend · 16/03/2017 16:45

DD1 4yo (The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe)
Dd2 went first at 6yo with a friend for a party
Ds went at 6yo with school.

I was taken at 3yo to see Bedknobs and Broomsticks and was terrified!

RubbishMantra · 16/03/2017 16:49

I was about 6, to watch Bambi, but my DSis worked as an usher, so cheap child care for parents.

When I was 15, friend and I sneaked in with some older lads to watch Nine And A Half Weeks. Excruciating enough (for a 15 yr old), but somebody in the row behind us couldn't see well, and the person accompanying them was giving them a running commentary on the visuals. As in, "she's crawling around on her hands and knees, picking up dollar bills!" And, "Oh, she's taken her dress off, oh, but wait! She's got a man's vest on underneath!"

Bad times indeed.

noramum · 16/03/2017 17:14

Just over 5. DD hardly managed a full movie at home before so I didn't think spending money was worth it. She also hardly saw TV a lot anyway.

But we are not big movie goer/TV people anyway, so it is not something I prioritize.

deliverdaniel · 16/03/2017 17:42

Wow! amazed by these responses. We have tried taking DS6 every year or so since he was 3 and he is always terrified and has to leave. We have now managed 2 films with him but then took him to Moana a couple of weeks ago and he freaked out when she nearly drowns at the beginning and we had to go. He is kind of anxious generally though.

RufusTheSpartacusReindeer · 16/03/2017 17:44

18months

He was always a very well behaved little boy

Nothing to do my parenting just nature

He was as quiet as a mouse and loved it

scottishdiem · 16/03/2017 17:49

I was 3.5 when Dad took me to see Empire Strikes Back in 1980. Not sure that he was actually taking me, more getting to go himself and leaving mum with baby sibling.

I liked it. Still remember wanting to watch it again and confused that we had to leave. Also remember something about Yoda and the Dagobah system....

BurnTheBlackSuit · 16/03/2017 18:01

2 and 5. They were both fine, 2 year old spent most of his time on my lap, but was fascinated by the film.

HemanOrSheRa · 16/03/2017 18:05

DS was about 3 or 4. It was one of the Ice Age films. His little face when the movie started on the massive screen was a picture . He absolutely loved it and got very involved. He stood up and waved his arms about a bit when it got exciting but otherwise was fine. He looked really cute sat in the massive seat too .

justwanttoweeinpeace · 16/03/2017 18:09

Three - we waited until he could watch a whole movie at home.

oobedobe · 16/03/2017 18:16

DD1 we took at nearly 3 there was a new winnie the pooh film, we went when it was quiet and the film was only 1hr 20mins long.

DD2 18months, but she was an easy baby and happy to sit and watch I always went to cheap showing so if we had to leave it wasn't a big waste of money.

Under 4 they are usually free so that can be a good time to go too.

Lemonnaise · 16/03/2017 18:27

DD was 4 when she first went to the cinema with her dad. She went to the toilet 5 times. She's nearly 6 now and I don't think she would be able to sit through a full movie.

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