How old to play at park unsupervised?

[curiousgeorgie247]

AibOP (am I being over protective) to have said no when dds friend came knocking, asking if she would like to be dropped off at the park by the girls mum and play unsupervised then collected by her mum again?
They're 10 and a half.

I'm not the over protective type. I let the dcs play out with their friends unsupervised on our road. But the park seems like a bit too far for 10 year olds even if they are being dropped off. The park is very big and there's loads of entry points and bits you can't see.

Too overprotective, they're nearly secondary school age when they'll need to get buses etc by themselves surely.

Your question is unanswerable as it's based on how far the park is.

You haven't told us

Also, why can't they walk to the park?

younhavent said how far the park is and what sort if place you live. I live in a small market town and the local children all gk to the park down the road at that age. I imagine in an urban city park not walking distance away you might want to wait until secondary age.

Depends on stuff like how large the park is, how they can get home, where it is, what kind of kids etc.

The park is about 20 mins away on foot. 5 mins in the car.

Also dds friend is streetwise whereas dd, definately isnt. In the nicest possible way 🤣

I agree it depends how far away the park is. If something happened, would one or both of the girls be able to come home easily to get assistance.
My girls are 6 and 8 and they go alone to th park, but it’s literally three houses down from us and I think the worst that could happen is one of them falling and hurting themselves, in which case the other would come for me.

Only you know the children. Only you know where it is and how suitable it is. There's no magic precise age kids magically turn into something else.

Mine are 12 and 11.its a no. Once they go out alone you cant v well say no at 14 when the drinking etc sometimes starts. Mine have friends round and clubs etc. I take them to the park on way home from school

But ours is a large park frequented by teenagers

Is it a nice park with lots of children and families or the kind of place where teenagers hang out with lots of grafitti. If it's a normal.park with lots of children I would have no problem with this. They don't need to be streetwise to play on the swings and kick a football around.

My son is the same age. I really, really want to let him go to the park by himself, as when I was his age I was roaming up to two miles away on my bike. What stops me is partly that he doesn't want to go out by himself, and I wouldn't let him take his younger brother because they argue, and partly the busy-ness of the roads round here, which are way busier than on the quiet estate on the outskirts of a quiet town where I grew up - we live near the centre of a large town. If he had a friend who was going I think I would let him, as he actually is quite road conscious now, but I wouldn't have done 6 months ago.

I would at that distance. I’d also expect them to walk not drop them off!

I was getting a bus to another town for school on my own at eleven living on the outskirts of East London/Essex. YABU

My dd was that age when I started to let her up the local park which was about 2 min walk away.

Does she have a phone?

I think it will be ok, they have to get used to being on their own for high school.

I wouldn’t let my 10 year old go unsupervised, to a large sprawling park, with multiple exit points, 20 mins walk away either OP.
Of course if you lived in a village with a tiny park close to your home that would be a different matter, but your park seems to be big and more urban?
Agree with you OP

I'd say from Yr 6 it is fine as long as its not a really dodgy park. Make sure they have phones and you are available to go to them if they need you. They need to begin to have a bit of independence at this age.

Sounds overprotective not to let them go - especially as they are not even making the journey there by themselves! As others have said they are almost secondary school age when they will presumably be travelling to school by themselves.

Round here 9 is norm for playing out. For reference, when DD was about the same age yours, she and her friends were regularly going for several mile cycle rides.

At about that age - think it was 11 - my friend and I were allowed to go to the nearby town ourselves. 8 miles, ish. Usually cycled, but walked once or twice.

My DS is 10 and a half and I wouldn't let him do that yet.

Depends where you live. My kids have roamed the village since 8/9. It's good for them. We have beaches too and that's the bit that scares me.

8 for mine, dd started going at 6 with older brother. We are close to two parks, each at about 15 min walk.
Your dd won’t become streetwise if you don’t give her the chance.

I think if 10 coming up to 11 year 6 , I would be giving steps to independence, year 5 just 10 then different.

You know your own child though. Not all are ready at the same time

I'd slow it but certainly not at winter when it's dark after school.

Totally depends on where you live. ds was wandering our housing estate and all the parks in it with his friends at that age (so up to a 1.5 miles from home), but he had a phone with ours and other parents numbers so we could contact him at anytime, or if something happened he could contact a parent, and they were very good at keeping together.

Biggest problem was when they met slightly older kids that were looking to show off and chased them, and once one of his group got hit.