My parents also took me to see it when it came out in 1977. I recommend a child be older than six weeks old when you show it to them. Apparently I wasn’t *at all *impressed, and this was one of the biggest reasons my family got cable the summer my brother was born 
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That in and of itself is an interesting question to chew on, as I imagine most parents who are big SW fans do not wait as long as I’d think best.
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Really hoping the OP is an Onion parody.
I think I must have waited too long. My daughter just turned 12 and loves sci-fi books and has seen some movies, though not a lot. She made it through about 15 minutes and asked if maybe we could watch it some other time which I know is her polite way of saying she was bored with it.
I picked 4 which is I guess the first one? I don’t know a thing about Star Wars. I saw it when I was a kid but I never saw more than the original.
Just have them watch the movies in the order most of us saw them, and don’t worry about skipping the “crappy ones”. Kids don’t have the same taste adults do. I remember liking a lot of TV shows and movies that I now know were absolute shit. (“Small Wonder” anyone?) Just let them watch and enjoy FFS.
If anything, they’ll end up hating the entire franchise. I mean, you might as well have them write an essay after each movie. :rolleyes:
I think my OP was pretty clear, especially once you get to the numbered points at the end. “This is what I advocate; feel free to tell me why I am wrong and/or argue for your own curation and order”. Pretty standard type of OP, I thought–but you seem surprisingly flummoxed by it for some reason.
Sorry, when someone phrases the title of a thread as a question, with a question mark and everything-- At what age, and in what order, should one introduce kids to “Star Wars”?– I assume the person is looking for some input/suggestions. Pretty standard. But if you just want to let us know what you’ve decided to do and how serious you take it all, that’s super too. Wonderful thread and best of luck with everything. Sorry for soiling your thread with my being so flummoxed.
So you only read the title and not the OP?
So you don’t really want to know opinions about what age and in what order one should introduce kids to “Star Wars?”
Sure I do. I welcome the debate. Just as I thought was clear in my OP. I also posted another OP with my top 10 songs of 2016, in which I invited others to offer their own nominees. I didn’t think anyone would expect me to change my mind about what I originally chose, though.
But sure, based on just the title, one might think it possible that a thread with this title could be from someone saying “Huh, I just can’t decide: what should I do?” Buut…then reading the OP should clarify things, or so I thought.
we’re not “flummoxed.” you want to try to force your kids to enjoy Star Wars in exactly the same way you did. that is a fruitless endeavor.
I’m happy to debate that point. I always intended this to be like a friendly (and ultimately inconsequential) barroom debate over peanuts and PBR. 
I used to feel as you did but I’ve come full circle as you will see.
For a 6yo, I would recommend just SW. No trilogy. No clone this or that. And, oh yeah, it would be an idealized SW. A remastered version where Han shots first. Hell, Han shoots only!
Any 6yo relative of mine (and it would have to be a nephew once removed at this point) that does not get the simple morality of Solo’s actions in that scene as originally filmed would have me worrying about whether s/he was a truly a blood relative.
So that’s it. SW is fine for a 6yo. Straight forward, self-contained story. Wookies, not Ewoks. No need for two more movies so they can blow up another Death Star. One movie! All you need!
I don’t introduce movies. Kids are pretty good at informing parents what they want to see. If they wanted to see Star Wars, fine. Makes sense to start with episode 1.
Are we presuming the tikes are familiar “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” by Joseph Campbell?
Otherwise:
Star Wars (A New Hope)
“The Hero with a Thousand Faces” in however many bedtime readings as it takes.
Then the original trilogy.
Publish their essays on Star Wars
Then they are free to see the movies from PM to RotJ.
Publish an addendum of any new insights if necessary.
I don’t own I, II, or III so I doubt my kid will see them until she happens to have a friend that likes the movie.
I doubt that I’ll do a planned watching order for my kid as much as I watch IV, V, VI at least once a year and I’m sure she’ll be in the room over the years. Of course we’ll add in Rouge of One and at least VII to our annual watching so I’m sure she’ll see them in order multiple times.
Plus, how could they possibly understand what Luke does later in the movie?
I mean, firing before the Death Star does? How dare he?
I know it’s heresy but the Prequels play really well to many little kids. It’s silly to ignore them.
This is a solid argument.
Why does “play really well to little kids” count in their favor? Isn’t that the same as saying they are really dumbed-down and juvenile? The beauty of the original Star Wars is that it appealed to such a wide range of ages without so blatantly pandering to the youngest part of the audience.
Reading the OP makes me think that you are bent on turning what ought to be a fun watch with space wizards and laser princesses for a couple of little kids into some sort of exalted sacrament with yourself as High Priest: if the liturgy is read in the wrong order, the ceremony won’t be valid. Just let your kids enjoy being kids.