My son started around age six. I don't believe in toy bows or giving the toy bowidea to youngsters. There are some decent bowyers around that make childrens bows with a very light draw weight. Whatever you do keep if fun for them and don't get them overbowed. Below is my son at age 7 with a fiberglass bow, age 8 with his mothers recurve, and then at age 11 with his self bow that he and I made.