Raising Stoics

Home Alone age rating: what parents of kids 4–7 should know

Home Alone age rating: the 1990 comedy is rated PG in the US, per the MPA, which means parental guidance suggested with no age limit; the MPA lists no reason for a rating that old. The UK's BBFC rates it PG for moderate slapstick violence and infrequent moderate language, and it's 12 in Germany. Common Sense Media, an independent nonprofit, lists it for ages 10 and up.

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Home Alone at a glance

0 flags6
Risk flags1 of 6Official age rating: PG (MPA: PG)
  • –Official rating above age 7
    MPA: PG; BBFC: PG; FSK: 12
  • –Violence in rating descriptors
    BBFC PG: moderate slapstick violence (not counted at PG)
  • –Scary content in rating descriptors
    BBFC: mild spooky moments (not counted)
  • –Bad language in rating descriptors
    BBFC PG: infrequent moderate language (not counted at PG)
  • –Sexual content, drugs, or alcohol in rating descriptors
    BBFC: mild sexual humour (not counted)
  • ✓Rated 12 or higher in the UK or Germany
    FSK: 12

Each flag is a yes-or-no fact from the sources on this page. The number is a count of flags, not a safety score. How we count. Rating reasons marked mild, very mild, or brief don't count.

TypeChristmas comedy (1990) about an 8-year-old left home alone who fights off two burglars source
US (MPA)PG (parental guidance suggested; no age limit); the MPA lists no reason for this 1990 rating source
UK (BBFC)PG (parental guidance) — moderate slapstick violence and infrequent moderate language (2012) source
Germany (FSK)12 for the 2008 DVD release (FSK database, checked October 2026); we couldn't find the original 1990 cinema decision source
Common Sense Media10+ — frequent slapstick violence, especially toward the end; words like "crap"
Sequels (MPA)Home Alone 2 (1992): PG, comic action and mild language. Home Sweet Home Alone (2021): PG source

Checked October 2026. Ratings and settings change; check the official source before you decide. What do these ratings mean?

Facts for parents, not medical or legal advice. If you're worried about your child, talk to your pediatrician.

What Home Alone is about

Home Alone is a 1990 comedy in which an eight-year-old boy, Kevin, is accidentally left at home when his family flies to France for Christmas, and he has to fend off two burglars, as the BBFC describes it. Macaulay Culkin plays Kevin. Common Sense Media lists family, love and forgiveness among its messages.

Home Alone age rating: what's in it

Short answer: PG in the US and the UK, 12 in Germany.

  • US (MPA): PG, no reason listed.
  • UK (BBFC): PG, moderate slapstick violence, infrequent moderate language.
  • Germany (FSK): 12.

The BBFC says Kevin hurts the burglars many times, but the violence is slapstick, with no focus on realistic injury; there's a red mark on a hand and a mark on a face after a hit with an iron. The burglars threaten Kevin often. Language includes "shit" and "crap." Kevin finds a Playboy magazine, with no nudity shown.

The traps: what the BBFC notes

Short answer: The BBFC flags some of Kevin's booby traps as behavior that might be dangerous if copied.

Its examples are a heating element placed over a metal door handle and water poured on stone steps in freezing weather to make them slippery. The BBFC adds that the film makes clear Kevin sets the traps to protect himself and that this isn't normal behavior.

The habit kids may copy: the trap

Kevin turns the whole house into traps, and every trap works. The BBFC notes the film doesn't focus on realistic injury.

Try tonight: think it through

Pick one trap from the movie and ask: "What would happen if someone really did that?" Let your child think it through out loud, one step at a time. In our program, this is the lesson "Wisdom": thinking before deciding.

Why you can trust this page: the main facts link to their sources, a separate reviewer checks each page before it goes live, and the date shows when we last checked. How we review · Report an error

FAQ

What is Home Alone rated?

PG in the US. It's PG in the UK for moderate slapstick violence and infrequent moderate language, and 12 in Germany.

What age is Home Alone for?

There's no age limit in the US or the UK. Germany's FSK rates it 12, and Common Sense Media lists 10+.

Why is Home Alone rated PG?

The MPA lists no reason for the 1990 rating. The BBFC's PG cites moderate slapstick violence and infrequent moderate language.

What is Home Alone 2 rated?

PG in the US for comic action and mild language, per the MPA.

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Raising Stoics is a 12-week program for ages 5–6, built on Stoic philosophy and developmental psychology. One lesson is "Wisdom": thinking before deciding.

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