What age would you/do you let your child play outside unsupervised (in the street not gardens)?

Massively depends on the area id say. If there’s dodgy Dave on the corner who sells drugs to kids then maybe I’d give it a few more years…

I agree with Jess but would also add that it also depends on the child. Some kids are easily lead etc

Lol I can assure all areas, even nicer areas have drug dealers

This has been a bit of a topic amongst the mums at school here, as our children are in reception class, so 4-5 years old and there are a couple that we see playing out without adults, they are with older children but it’s still a massive no from me. I personally wouldn’t even think about it until over 10 years old, but then again I was definitely playing out unsupervised well before then as a child. Such a tricky topic.

I don't think I will be letting my little boy do that until he is at secondary school. Or at least 10.

this is my thoughts, I am overprotective but my daughter is 6 and some kids in her class have started playing out, some with older siblings but still... I googled it and it's advised 8 + depending on the child which is why I put that age in the poll. I just think, well I wouldn't leave them unattended in the house at that age so how I can I leave them unattended outside with strangers and risks of roads etc.... just seems a bit mad to me 🤷🏼‍♀️

This really depends on your area and the kid.

Some children are more street savvy than others. In our area I see a lot of children 6+ by themselves all the time. Most are well-behaved and others would benefit from adult supervision, they are cheeky, but that is another story. I have noticed some children get out of school at 3pm and hang out in the park alone until 5pm, I am assuming that's the time their parents come back home.

In general the neighbours seem OK with letting their children hang outside alone.

Will not be happening until 12+

My parents were wayyyy too blasé about what I got up to and if they knew a quarter of the stuff I did I would’ve never been allowed out again not to mention how far I went from home and how late I was allowed to stay out and that was before I got a phone at 10 years old

Absolutely is not happening with my own kids 😅

I understand it depends on those factors but what age would you let yours play out and would this differ to leaving them alone at home?

My daughter can walk home from age ten which is at the top of the road. Think it depends if she’s with someone and if they are walking back together and the time as there is a park opposite her school. I’m thinking an hour after school and then home possibly. We don’t really live on a road where kids play out together.

exactly we were little shits! There were no iPads back then to keep us quiet for 30 mins whilst mum got on with tea so they threw us out to play 😂

I also went missing more than once and they still let me out! 🤦🏼‍♀️

I grew up on a street with lots of kids around my age (slightly older/younger). So all of the parents would look out for each others child(ren). Plus there was a massive field just outside of my front door & I wasn't by a busy road, the only people who come around the area generally lived there or knew someone who did.

I was playing out with my friends from around the age of 5 but, as I said it was generally supervised. As I grew older, I was allowed further away from my house & I quite often went round a friends house &/or, played in their garden.

Baring in mind I grew up in the 90's/00's. So it was a completely different time/generation. Granted where I lived was fairly 'safe' & I've always been quite sensible, followed my parents rules.

I'm not sure, what age my daughters will be when they're allowed to play outside in the streets unsupervised. I live in a different area & the generation of young adults are different to the ones from when I was little. I did answer 8+ on the poll.

I personally don’t want them playing out on the street at any age - I think being able to go to the park with friends or to the shopping centre etc etc it’d be secondary school before I’d consider it - but there’s just something about me not having a clue where they are (in case they wander etc) I don’t like or if people do have bad intentions etc we’re on a very public road so feels risky - if I lived in a cul-de-sac or something and there was a green in view maybe I’d feel differently but it’s definitely a personal choice!

I don't have an answer yet. We may end up moving any time soon, so we will see then.

At the end I want my children knowing how to navigate the world, how to respond to danger and that takes some couching and awareness. When will they be ready? I don't know.

We have friends who let their children walk alone to school from age 5-6. Their children come back and stay alone at home 2-7pm, they just play video games or watch TV...

This is an ongoing conversation with my husband, where he aims for letting them be independent or myself who would rather keep them supervised. And to keep them supervised, one of us or a sitter needs to be with them and they need to listen to them.

Massively depends on the area you live in. How mature your child is for their age and their understanding of stranger danger and road safety.

I grew up in the 90's in a very safe village, school, shop and park right across the road, my best friends 1-2 streets away that always walked eachother half way back so it was never risky as such but as I say, I still went missing a few times and went off with people I knew and easily influenced to push boundaries, I was probably 7 when I was allowed out though but we also only had a small back yard. Unfortunately the area we live now has turned deprived and pretty rough, I don't even like walking around alone lol. We are hoping to move in a couple of years so hopefully if we're in a nicer area and she is that bit older we can consider it because I do want her to be street wise by highschool if she's having to get the bus and that

I’m sorry to jump in here but, as a teacher, I have to point out that what your friends are doing with their 5-6 year olds is classed as neglect and, if social services were to find out (or if their teachers were to find out and then have to inform social services), they’d seriously run the risk of losing their kids or experiencing major intervention from social services. I totally understand that childcare is so tough and expensive, but there’s no way children that age should be home alone for 5 hours a day.

I agree with Becka - it’s actually disgusting. I hope professionals around them do find out before something horrible happens. They are young children.

I don't know what school finishes at 2pm so perhaps not accurate but it's still not right or justified in any way. My kids cry if they can't find me in the house after 3 mins and we don't have a big house 😂 so I can't imagine how they would be if I actually left them home alone! Like who is feeding them at that time, surely they need their tea before 7pm? what if they had an accident or were sick? So many dangers which is my point, I wouldn't leave them home alone so why let them out alone? Makes no sense to me

that is the thing. That is in your culture, in your society. In other places 5yo children walk to school and back home by themselves. All of them are fine. Their teachers know it is the norm. Social services doesn't bat an eye for this.

I think the same law would apply to anyone living in the UK though

The UK is only the UK.

yeah but I'm asking specifically in an England group because I know different countries have different views

And I go back to my first answer. It depends on your area and the kid.

I am sure you know I the UK legally there is not a set age a kid can be left alone.

ok but comparing other countries and cultures is different.

Maybe so but that's for social services to judge on what is appropriate but I know my kids are safe

You will find different levels of comfort even within the UK.

It depends on the country you live in. In the UK I'd say age 10. But in south africa, where I am from, I wouldn't at all. Maybe age 16+ if that. But also depends if in a gated development or not.

Reading some of these comments.. Age 5?!?!?! I grew up in the 90s. In the quiet south Wales valleys I was 5 in 1994. There is no way in hell I would have been allowed out the street to play. My friends lived across the road, we had a park in my street, literally. Absolutely never would have happened. I was about 8 or 9 I think when I was allowed out to play.
Children aged 5 should not be left to play out alone. At all. I have a step son who's 5 in September and I can't even imagine it being up for discussion anytime soon and we live in a nice quiet street in a nice area.

I was always supervised by my own parents & my friends parents. There was quite a few of us all living in the same street/around the corner. I was never on my own😅