I am like a big child - going on ToT for the first time for me was terrifying - not the ride itself, but the hype of it. I was told it was a pretty intense ride and the eerie atmosphere only made me worse, almost to tears. On the line, however, we were surrounded by small children, children who could not have been any more than 6 or 7 years old, and they were fine. I sat next to a small little girl, who was fine for the ride. I think if you plan on taking on a small child, you should take them on during the daytime, because at night it is definitely a little extra scary (although, the view of MGM when you get to the top is amazing at night.)