Naturally, like any parent-to-be, my mind of late has been preoccupied with the extremely important business of how to best set him up for success in life, which primarily means figuring out how soon the kid can be introduced to Middle-earth. For me, The Hobbit (which I read for the first time in 5th grade) was a gateway drug to a life-long love of fantasy. Perhaps one day you will even be able to read my own novel, a comedic fantasy heavily influenced by (and a loving ode to) Tolkien and his world. So it’s safe to say that Lord of the Rings has had an extremely big impact on my own life, and I definitely want my son to have the same experience. If it’s true that exposing infants to music early in life makes them smarter, then it has to follow that exposing them to Middle-earth early in life makes them fantasy-loving nerds. And I’ll be damned if my kid isn’t going to grow up a fantasy-loving nerd! If you feel the same way, here are some great ways to get kids acclimated to Tolkien, starting early! Of course, these are just suggestions, and when it comes to age-appropriate media and toy consumption, your mileage may vary.
Ages 0–4
At this age, it’s a little early to dive right into the books, but with a little creativity, there are plenty of ways to introduce your newborn and toddler to Middle Earth!
Ages 5–8
By this age, kids are ready for longer stories, so it’s the perfect age to start introducing The Hobbit!
Ages 9–12
By this age, kids are much more independent and more than ready to enjoy reading The Hobbit on their own! Since The Lord of the Rings is a little more dense, I wouldn’t recommend that just yet — but it’s coming!
Ages 13–16
By the time they’re teenagers, your child(ren) should be more than ready to feast fully on all things Lord of the Rings. You know what that means: it’s movie time! (Nota bene: no idea if anyone even uses Blu-Ray anymore, but these were the best images to use to encapsulate an entire trilogy in one shot. Thank you for understanding.) In the end, it doesn’t really matter how you do it. The most important thing is that your kids enjoy this amazing story, and feel like they have something special you can share with them. In whatever way or at whatever time you choose, I hope you and your kids have a great time discovering Middle-earth together. You (and your now Tolkien fan kid) might also enjoy these posts:
A Guide to Lord of the Rings Special Edition Sets The Lord of the Rings Fandom: Where It’s At in 2021 Quiz: Which The Lord of the Rings Character Are You? 12 Lord of the Rings Bookends for Tolkien Fans
