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Original poster

What do your 10-13 year olds do outdoors alone?

30 replies

HRTQuestions · 23/04/2022 16:16

DS is currently wandering up and down the path between the blocks of flats which share our garden, but no one is coming out to play. He's been there 45 minutes (because the alternative is to tidy his room 😂)
He could, if he had any interest and if he wasn't grounded to our property, go to the park next door and use the basketball hoop but he has the concentration span of a gnat and has never been any good at entertaining himself.
What do your DC do if they're out and alone? I will probably have to go and get him soon as he has resorted to clapping and hooting to listen to the echo...

OP posts:
tomatoandherbs · 23/04/2022 16:19

They never just go out for a wander!

i allow my 12 year out. But always for a specific reason and always with a specific time back and I know rough locality.

so… to meet a friend and go to krispy crème and then basketball court
or
to go to sainsvurys with a friend, get a sandwich meal deal and then go to the climbing rocks

tomatoandherbs · 23/04/2022 16:20

In the garden he plays basketball
or trampoline
or tends to his allotment area in the garden

tomatoandherbs · 23/04/2022 16:21

Do other kids usually come out to play? Or were you hoping as a one off?

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Original poster
HRTQuestions · 23/04/2022 16:22

Yes, usually as soon as one goes out, the rest of the block empties. They all seem to be out today.

They never just go out for a wander!
he's only in the communal garden!

OP posts:
Doodledoop · 23/04/2022 16:22

hmm don't think my kids ever been out on their own - other than to go to shops for something specific.

And thinking back to my distant past, uswd to play out alone a lot as a child but as a teen not really might read book in garden, take dog for a walk but otherwise was either in my room or with friends and that was 1980s.

i think your expectations might be unrealistic.

Saisong · 23/04/2022 16:27

Have to force my 12yo out. Doesn't seem to have the kind of mates that just kick a footie about. He will go in the garden and take his (very small) drone, or target practice with a nerf gun and some plastic bottles. Will occasionally use the rope swing, or cycle his bike round the close. I'm just as likely to find him back inside 5 minutes later though.

Howmanysleepsnow · 23/04/2022 17:00

My 10 year old will play with a football, climb trees, ride his bike or occasionally play swingball alone. He’ll also head up to the corner shop for sweets/ a drink/ an ice cream, or call down to knock for friends a couple of streets away. If he were allowed further he’d be more than happy to go for a walk to the park/ scooter park, possibly with a football.

Pinklimey · 23/04/2022 17:07

My 11 yo dd goes for a walk, a run, a jog. Explores the area around us, visits the shops.

Justkeeppedaling · 23/04/2022 17:08

Ours used to go for a ride on their bikes.

jellybeansandthings · 23/04/2022 17:14

We are abroad and relatively rural, but out on their bikes, down fishing by the river, or just having a picnic kind of thing. Sometimes they will go to get snacks from the supermarket to eat as a pizza. Or in the winter kids go to restaurants or cafés together, obviously not all the time though.

jellybeansandthings · 23/04/2022 17:15

As a picnic, not as a pizza😆

BakewellGin1 · 23/04/2022 18:54

DS13 will go for a walk or jog around our area. We are lucky as near coast and a few shortish circular routes.

He does go out alone apart from that but usually to walk to the next village to meet friends.

Echobelly · 23/04/2022 18:57

13 YO sometimes goes out for a just a walk, a run (if forced by DH) or to film things for TikTok.

LilacPoppy · 23/04/2022 18:59

They don’t they play with siblings.

MintJulia · 23/04/2022 19:03

My 13yo doesn't go out on his own.

With encouragement he will cycle or walk with me. He'll pick raspberries or blackberries in season and he'll bumble down the road to his mate's if it's pre-organised by phone.
But left to his own devices he'll play computer games, read or revise.

workwoes123 · 23/04/2022 19:03

My 13/14 year old goes outside loads but it’s always to meet friends. They hang out in parks, go on their scooters, go to each other’s flats, birthday parties / picnics. Recently he’ll put on his headphones and go for a jog - walk in the evening - he wants to get fitter.

DS11 goes out to play football on the pitch across the road, if he’s with friend - he won’t go alone. Otherwise he’ll come for a walk with me or play football with DH.

when they were younger they would play with random neighbours kids in the courtyard behind our flats but that stopped when DS1 got to about 10.

SoggyPaper · 23/04/2022 19:09

My 12 year old goes to the park to meet his friends. It’s 5 minutes from the house. They hang around and do who knows what. Eat sweets/crisps. Sometimes they sit inside the local shopping centre (outside the savers). It’s got a door into the park.

nothing hugely exciting really. He doesn’t do this unless it’s arranged. Or if he sees friends in the park when I’ve dragged him to the shops with me.

SoggyPaper · 23/04/2022 19:14

Actually once they went to the rugby club to watch the 5 nations. And spent most of the time going to Tesco to buy rubbish I think.

JessicaBrassica · 23/04/2022 20:52

12yo goes and hangs out in the park or goes to friends. Sometimes they go and play in the creek or up to the playing fields. 10yo goes with her sometimes but he's only allowed to play in our street without supervision so he rides his bike around the road. He is allowed to the shop though. If he had friends who lived within walking distance then he'd be allowed to theirs - but with parents keeping in contact to ensure safe arrival and departure.

RagzRebooted · 23/04/2022 20:58

We're in a village. 12yo will go out occasionally to meet a friend in the park. 14yo goes out a lot to hang out with mates in the park or wander the village. They had a phase of doing 'bushcraft' sessions where they built shelters and cooked over a fire (in safe areas where other people have already had fires - they got complements from walkers!). They were recently praised on the local FB group for picking litter some older teens had left in the park.

Neither would go out alone and hope someone would show up, it's always prearranged over messages/calls.

15yo does not go out at all, unless out to towns with his girlfriend.

Justkeeppedaling · 01/05/2022 09:42

What have we done to our kids that they no longer play outside? Or can't entertain themselves when pushed out 🙁
I find it really sad.

JourneyToThePlacentaOfTheEarth · 01/05/2022 09:52

My 11 year old dd goes to Costa, to the park, swimming pool, local shop to buy beauty products and out for ice cream. Never alone, always with friends

JourneyToThePlacentaOfTheEarth · 01/05/2022 09:53

Aged 8-11 she played outside with other kids and often still does

Mistlewoeandwhine · 01/05/2022 09:55

My two are 16 and 12. They never hang out in the local area as we live in a large city and I’m not convinced they’d be safe. Also neither of them have gone to local schools so they don’t know any of the local kids.

Ululavit · 01/05/2022 09:56

My 11yo goes and buys herself bubble tea and random stuff from The Works. She will go to the field with a ball or kite, or to the playground with a friend, but not by herself