The
character of Peter Pan first appeared in a section of a novel written by
Barrie for adults in 1902, “The Little White Bird”.  The Pan character
was adapted for stage as a play in 1904, “Peter Pan and Wendy”‘ and then
later in 1911, as the novel, “Peter Pan”.   The most widely known
version  of the story is the 1953 animated motion picture, “Walt
Disney’s Peter Pan”.

The notion of a boy who would never grow up
was based on J. M. Barrie’s older brother who died in an ice-skating
accident the day before he turned fourteen years old and thus always
stayed a young boy in his mother’s mind.

In the 1953 Disney
adaptation and its 2002 sequel, Peter appears to be in late childhood,
between 10 and 13 years old. (The actor that provided the voice in 1953
was 15-year-old Bobby Driscoll.) In the 2003 film, Jeremy Sumpter was 13
at the time filming started, but by the end of filming he was 14 and
had grown several inches taller.