Randy in A Christmas Story is generally understood to be about 5–6 years old during the events of the film. This lines up with how he is portrayed as Ralphie’s much smaller, younger brother in the late‑1930s/early‑1940s setting. The actor who played him, Ian Petrella, was 8 years old at the time of filming, which also supports the idea that the character is written as a slightly younger child than the actor’s real age.

Quick scoop: Randy’s age

  • Most fan discussions and timeline breakdowns place Randy at roughly 6 years old in the movie.
  • Ralphie is described as 9, and Randy is clearly a couple of years younger, fitting the 5–6 range.
  • The film’s time period (late 1930s to around 1940) plus typical sibling age gaps support that estimate.

Extra bit of context

  • Ian Petrella, who plays Randy, was about 8 when A Christmas Story was filmed and released in 1983.
  • Child characters are often written a bit younger than the actors playing them, which is likely what happened here, making Randy “about six” in-story.

TL;DR: Randy is portrayed as roughly 5–6 years old in A Christmas Story , younger than his 9‑year‑old brother Ralphie and played by 8‑year‑old Ian Petrella.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.