Introducing the Kids to Trek

[Lady C]

So I was thinking it was time to introduce the kids to Trek and was looking for recommendations for which eps would be good to start them out on.

They are 4 & 6 - they already love Doctor Who & Star Wars

Any series is fine (I finally have them all on DVD).

Any suggestions would be appreciated

[HopefulNebula]

Trufax: when I was a toddler my dad sat me down in front of the TV and said "here, you'll like this." It was the very first ep of TNG.

...of course, I'm completely blanking on individual episodes now, but I'll be back.

[Kathy Rose]

I introduced my son when he was small to the world of Trek with the original series episode, "The Trouble with Tribbles."

[Glory1863]

If you have the animated series, then I'd go with that. It was designed to be a Saturday morning Trek cartoon more suitable to younger viewers than the primetime show (let's just say Kirk doesn't get the same kind of "action"). It has the major characters (plus a few more because it's easier/cheaper to do that with animation) and the "lessons" you'd expect from Trek. Otherwise, I'd go with Kathy Rose's suggestion of "The Trouble with Tribbles." Maybe "A Piece of the Action" from TOS. At least it's funny. I always thought the living/sentient rock (Horta) from TOS was interesting, but I don't remember enough of "Devil in the Dark" to recommend it for little kids. I feel that a lot of my favorite episodes in any of the series simply wouldn't be appropriate for kids so young, either in terms of material beyond their understanding ("The City on the Edge of Forever") or material they don't need to be exposed to yet (the MU or most of DS9).

[Lady C]

^Don't have the animated series unfortunately Ironically, they've actually seen a little bit of DS9 because one of our digital channels is showing it on Sundays at midday in a three hour block so we occasionally come across it - but yeah I don't think it's the best Star Trek to start them out on.

"Trouble with Tribbles" sounds like a good suggestion though, thanks Kathy Rose.

I thought about "Encounter At Farpoint" HopefulNebula, but then I thought it might be a little too talky to hold their interest - but I might reconsider.

Thanks for the suggestions

[HopefulNebula]

Yeah, that wasn't so much a suggestion as it was an anecdote. I don't even remember this; I've just been told the story enough that it feels like I do. I do think TNG is probably the best series to start 'em off on, though.

[jespah]

^Don't have the animated series unfortunately Ironically, they've actually seen a little bit of DS9 because one of our digital channels is showing it on Sundays at midday in a three hour block so we occasionally come across it - but yeah I don't think it's the best Star Trek to start them out on.

"Trouble with Tribbles" sounds like a good suggestion though, thanks Kathy Rose.

I thought about "Encounter At Farpoint" HopefulNebula, but then I thought it might be a little too talky to hold their interest - but I might reconsider.

Thanks for the suggestions

There's possibly "Shore Leave" (TOS). There is a lancing but it's bloodless - or you could skip over that. But the idea of it being a lot of weirdness and then the connection to a white rabbit might be familiar.

[Lillith]

The thread hasn't been updated in a good long while, but I started my 5 year old neice on the ENT episode 'The Andorian Incident.' This same child watches swedish vampire flicks and Buffy with me, so I wasn't too worried with the plot related violence in the ep.

[Frakme]

I started off on classic Trek when I was small as my Dad was a fan. My 2.5 yo has been watching Enterprise with me, she LOVES the theme tune and sings along to it!
I also watched old Hammer House movies when I was small thanks to my mum!

[Artisticmom2]

Mine have grown up on it - they would toddle through the room and catch a bit here and there but I wouldn't let them watch full episodes until I had watched it and made sure it was appropriate for their eyes. As they grew older we picked a series and watched the whole thing as Family TV Night when we had the opportunity. We've made it through all the Enterprise episodes and now are working on Voyager. We've made them watch the TOS episode "Trouble With Tribbles" and the pilot episode because they're so classic but the lack of good CG turned them off. This past Halloween I scored a TNG costume at the local thrift store and wore it all day that day when out on errands with them. It was rather amusing that I had to borrow a pair of Vulcan ears from one of them to make the costume complete!