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Original poster

What age would you/have you let your child go to the park unattended?

75 replies

savanahnana · 04/08/2023 14:47

Understand this will vary massively depending on the child, but what age would you let your child go to the park by themself.

We live one house down from a play park and football field, in the countryside. Park not ever very busy, more often than not we’re there by ourselves.

I can’t see the park from the house however so it got me thinking what age my children would likely be before I let them go alone. They’re generally quite sensible quiet kids who would just happily play. I won’t say how old yet as would just like to gage a rough age on what others think is generally acceptable.

OP posts:
dressedforcomfort · 07/08/2023 08:40

In my area it seems to be about 9-10. However, DS is 9.5 and has SEND and there's no way I would even consider it at the moment....

Jasmine222 · 07/08/2023 10:12

I think it's a question of location rather than age. Where I live it's about 6/7, but my answer would be massively different if I lived in a town or city.

FatCatatPaddingtonStation · 07/08/2023 10:18

Where I live, about 8 or 9, but it’s a very safe community where everyone knows everyone. The first time I let DS walk to the other side of the park without me, he was about 6, (I was in the park), in the 10 mins he was gone, I received 4 calls from other parents checking I knew where he was!

My daughter is 10 now and can go to both of our local parks (5 and 10 minutes walk respectively) as well as the local shopping area and her local activities alone. But my sister lives in an area with a very different feel, and my nephew was 12 before he was able to do the same.

So depends on both your child, and the location.

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Noodles1234 · 07/08/2023 12:15

Varies on the child and environment, my eldest is 10 and where I live is not ok for child to walk alone to park. However when we visit a friends house in a quiet village park is two doors down and no roads to cross, so over 8s are allowed on their own but only here (we cannot see the park and they have phones on them).
I will admit to still not being happy about this as of historical cases in the news, but also try to let go and letting them gain independence, I can say it is not an easy one, kids are fine and their kids have been doing it since they were about 6-7.

whynotwhatknot · 07/08/2023 12:59

with other kids 8 or 9 depends on the area though

Herejusttocomment · 07/08/2023 13:11

We're in a small village with lots of military families, I let my DD go to the park by herself at 7 but I can see the park from my house and I checked on her every 20 mins or so. There kids younger than that at the park by themselves here.

However, where we lived before I'd be nervous letting her go by herself now at 10.

Emmacb82 · 07/08/2023 13:31

I think you also have to consider how silly some children behave when they are all together. It’s not all about whether they are safe or not, but more about how they are likely to behave. Quite often we have big groups of 8/9/10 year olds who are silly, try to break all the equipment etc and they aren’t bothered by other adults that might be there with toddler aged children. I had to stop 2 kids from taking a shopping trolley up the slide the other day. No parents anywhere to be seen, kids just left to their own devices. Of course you can’t tar every child with the same brush and there are some lovely polite kids too. But just something else to consider when sending them out in a group.

TenoringBehind · 07/08/2023 13:31

In your situation 8/9 years old

for us it was about 9/10. Very safe and quiet area but there is one road to cross and the park is 5-10 minutes away

ActDottie · 07/08/2023 13:35

Probably year six onwards as that’s when they’d be starting to learn to go to school by themselves etc. it’s also the age I will probably allow them to have a mobile phone

JLou08 · 07/08/2023 15:21

A quiet park would worry me more than a busy one. If it was open and could be seen from a road where there are people walking past regularly and it was a nice area where there weren't a lot of teens/children around that cause trouble or fight I would probably let them go about 9/10, maybe even 8 if with older sibling or group of friends. If it is a really closed off area, maybe surounded by trees etc I probably wouldn't even want my 14 yo going there without their friends but would be more happy with them going in a group from around 11.

Ellie1015 · 07/08/2023 16:09

6 if closeby and you can trust child to not wander elsewhere.

mindutopia · 07/08/2023 16:10

8 or 9, with another child. We live in a quiet rural village. I wouldn't let mine physically walk to the park because it's too far (probably 15 minutes walk), but I would be okay with her from that age going with a friend from the friend's house.

Flakey99 · 07/08/2023 16:13

It totally depends on where you live, surely?

In parts of central London, probably 16+ otherwise, where we live, maybe around 8yrs? Having said that, the nearest formal playground is about 10 miles away so mine only ever play out at home.

Housefullofcatsandkids · 07/08/2023 16:13

Probably about 8 if it's close enough to see from the house. Our closest park is about a 5 min walk and I think my eldest was about 10 when I let them go alone.

SirenSays · 07/08/2023 16:25

7/8 with strict instructions to stay with friends.

Crossstich · 07/08/2023 16:27

Not until they started secondary school so 11

angielizzy1 · 07/08/2023 16:32

We have a park right behind our house but I can't see the play area without being upstairs in my son's room or in the garden, I can see the grass where they play football and run about. My daughter was allowed to go there at about 7 or 8 (when we moved here) but there was always a group of children there her age or a bit older. When my son got to a similar age he used to go with his sister but the children his sister went with from our street had mostly outgrown that park and unfortunately his friends lived the other side of the main road from us. I let him go with his friends to towards the end of year 6 at school so about 11 with a phone so I could contact/track him.

GingerIsBest · 07/08/2023 16:41

As others have said, depends on child and area. But somewhere between 8-10 I'd say.

DS started around 8, but with older friends/cousins. He only started going to the park with his actual friends around 10.

DD is very sensible but I wouldn't let her go alone at 8 and there's no chance in hell any of her friends would be allowed, so I think she'll definitely be a bit older. She does occasionally get to go to the park with her older cousins or with DS but they're all 4-8 years older so frankly, they don't particularly want an 8 year old tagging along most of the time.

Phos · 07/08/2023 16:50

The only park within walking distance of us is still a good 15 mins walk for an adult, more for a kid. I can see it from home but only because we are on the hill, I cannot see the route there and it would be a long way to come for help if needed so honestly by the time she'd be old enough to go alone (10 or 11?) she'll probably have outgrown the park.

VikingLady · 07/08/2023 16:55

My parents let us at 11 and 7, but they moved to a house where we wouldn't need to cross a busy road to get there.

My kids are 11 and 8, and I wouldn't let them. The distance is similar, but I can't see the park from my windows and there's a needle exchange and a social services hub next to it, plus an awful lot of stabbings on our street. The next park along is much further, and frequently features in police rape warnings.

Honestly, I'm not sure I'm letting them out til they're 20!

stichguru · 07/08/2023 17:03

Mine started to go to a park a 5 minute walk down our estate aged 10. Let him go with his mate(s) also aged 9/10 but no adult or older child, and at least 1 of them always had a phone. Wouldn't be so keen to let him go actually on his own though.

TooManyPlatesInMotion · 07/08/2023 17:05

Aged 10. Park is very close to our house, but it's a busy one in South London with tricky road to cross.

FlamingYam · 07/08/2023 17:07

I'm not sure what I would have been confortable with at the distance from the park you suggest. We are 5 mins from the park and DD was allowed to go in year 5 when she was allowed to walk home alone from school. This age limit was set by the school and I wasn't comfortable but realise it is an appropriate age.

Carouselfish · 07/08/2023 17:14

12? But depends on area. If a lot of teens around maybe not.

IndigoLaFaye · 07/08/2023 17:17

Depends on the area and how sensible the child is but if it’s a quiet area and the child is sensible, not easily led astray then 7-8 years old.