How old before playing out?

[24KaratCucumber]

*ahem.. Back in my day us kids were out running about in sunshine from age 8.. by Eck.

But it isn't my day, it's 2023 and my 10 year old daughter wants to go out with her friends. They only live 10 minutes away and shes pretty.smart and independent.. but.. I fear mad axe wielders and boy racers mounting kerbs and packs of vicious ferrets roaming.. (only slightly joking)

What’s the area like, what’s the journey like? I think 10 is plenty old enough to walk along quiet residential roads in a suburb to play with a group of other children of the same age. In a more central area of a city involving crossing busy roads, it might be a good idea to walk with her the first couple of times just to observe her doing it and make sure she’s not crossing roads at blind corners or stepping out from behind parked cars etc.

Most of the kids around here (London suburb) seem to start walking and getting the public bus to school for the first year of secondary, so getting a bit of practice in advance of that seems sensible.

The walk would be to end of our street, over a 30mph limit road at a crossing, up a path and up the street her friend lives on.

We've walked it before as it's in the way to a shop we've used. It seems a nice area, kids in front gardens, dogs yapping, women carrying shopping. Etc.

I think I'm just anxious cause it'd be her first time out without me.. but it has to happen sometime, I know. She would take an old phone of mine as a precaution.