What age for kids playing out?

[WibblyWobblyJellyHead]

We live on a small estate, the only traffic is people who live here and it's minimal during the day.

All the estate children play out, including my 12yo DD. I've been out supervising DS2 (nearly 5) before and he's loved it.

DD and ds2 want to go out now. I don't, I have too much to do this afternoon.

Would you let him go out with her? It's out of my eyeline as they play round the corner, there's a green with a rope swing, but there are lots of other parents in and out. He isn't the youngest at all but it's not something I'm used to.

DD has said she will watch him and they will come back in an hour.

What do you think? Should I let him go?

How sensible is he? It's unfair to rely on your dd as it's a lot of responsibility and she will undoubtedly get distracted with friends. If you think your 5yo is sensible enough to be unsupervised then go for it. My dd played out from age 6 and probably would have been fine at 5.

Mine are aged 10 and 6 and are allowed out together to the park around the corner, not across any roads. I don't let the 6 year old go on his own yet, but will maybe allow it this summer.

He's quite sensible, and would run home (I think) if he needed me.

He's changed his mind now and is watching YouTube but I'd be interested to know if I should let him go out over the holidays.

Elder one yes, five year old no. Far too young to be out alone unsupervised and elder siblings are not parents so shouldnt be responsible for younger siblings.

I think he will be OK, as long as he is streetwise and knows the rules.

DS is 6 and plays out, under strict guidelines, which I trust him to follow.

I wouldn't expect a 12 year old to supervise a 5 year old, it's too young for that kind of responsibility, and she will want to be playing not babysitting.

I let mine out to pay in the road, in easy view from the window, but without me actually being there from about 7/8 years old.

I let them go further afield to the park, and therefore out of view at 10/11, but with mobile phones.

I wouldn't let a 5 year out unless he was being directly supervised by an adult, sorry. It seems far, far to young.

When we were children, we regularly went off for a few hours, pretend down to 5/6 yos. The deal was, the little ones had to listen to the bigger ones, the bigger ones had to be responsible for the little ones.

We all survived and enjoyed it. My children are no less sensible than I was. There's more traffic, but more pedestrian crossings with lights.

So for an hour, yes I'd be happy with that. I might stroll up after 30 minutes with ice lollies as an excuse for a nose at how they're getting on. Especially the first time.

It really depends on the child. We used to live on a main road so they never played out but we're too young to anyway. We moved a year ago to a similar estate to you where all the kids are playing out. They were 6 & 7 at the time. They were only allowed where I could see them and where they can hear me if I shout them. Recently I've given them a bit more freedom to go up the road a bit as there is a green with tyre swings. They're 7 and 8 now. They check in every 15 minutes and they know if they don't check in or go further they will lose my trust. They have become much more streetwise because of this freedom.

Omg I've just re-read your full op and it seems we may live on the same road with a tyre swing on a green! Haha

I would. Kids playing out used to be the normal. I'd be out playing for hours when I was a kid. As would the other kids in the neighbourhood. Younger siblings along side us.

Still is the normal in other countries. Visiting friends abroad the older ones were taking out 2/3 year olds.

Mine play out on the green. Ones nearly 10 the other 5 .

No roads. I can hear them.

My dd never played out. She used to have friends come in and play in the garden or in her room.
Some of them are literally thrown out as soon as they can walk.

If there really are lots of people your younger one would know to talk to and who know you, yes. But after the time dh found siblings in the park where the older one slipped and knocked themselves out and the younger not able to say where they lived, parents name etc so they had to wait for the police to come as well as the ambulance so the police could go with the younger one leading them home to inform the parents, I am more cautious about this!

My 9 year old is allowed out and about to park, friends on his bike etc he is a very mature 9 year old but I dread to think when my 6 year old daughter will be ready as she has zero road sense and talks to anyone, 'fluffy bunny' mentioned and she'd be off just not comprehending stranger danger, so I think it totally depends on the individual child and what their understanding of danger etc is

Lots of kids play out in our street and this summer DD has started joining in. She's just coming up on 4, so I potter in the front garden and she's only allowed on our stretch - no crossing roads or going round the corner. You have to start with independence somewhere.

I would happily let her 12 yr old cousin take her to the park, but sadly she's more interested in her new phone at the moment.