What did you do when you were a kid that is considered dangerous now?

[Karlwho]

Just out of interest.
When I was little (7-10), I'd play outside around the neighbourhood with no adults and not a mobile between my friends and I. We'd go home when we were hungry.

Played extensively in rivers (from about age 8) that included holding breath and swimming in the tiny tunnels under old bridges, jumping from trees into the rivers, building dens on the banks of rivers, walking for miles up the rivers were there were sheep and cows, all sorts of farm debris dumped. Injured myself many times. Still went back for more. Would never let my DC do that

But I've been quite a relaxed parent, my kids walked to school alone from 7&9, they took city bus to high school when they transferred at 10 and as teens took 4 hour train journeys with a change

obvious one - but loads and loads of us here will have been put to sleep on our fronts as babies with pillows and god knows what else in our cots!

I always used to play on a building site, it was amazing fun.

We used to go off for hours and hours, all the neighborhoods kids together.

Roller skating down the middle of the roads.

No seatbelts, both parents smoking in the front. Drink driving when we were really young.

We played inside skips, pulled stuff out of skips, jumped in them etc
How no one got seriously hurt I don’t know

Used to play Rounders out in the street,would just move out of the way if a car came by!.We lived in a cul de sac( not main road BTW!.)Would play out all the time .Mum went mad ,when the guy over the road gave all the kids a ride round the block on his motorbike, with no helmet!! 1970 ish .Drove to Canvey island in A40 no seatbelts!

I was born 1976. Grew up in London. Bike with no helmet. Playing outside our block of flats on own with friends from about age 7 - did not go off further than a few houses next door because my parents told me not to (and they were considered overprotective in those days). many other kids wandered further. Going on short bus journey on own every week to a drama club at age 9.

These replies are great

Used to go tree climbing, would climb as high as I could go. Fell out of a very tall one once and landed on my back. Was completely numb for about ten minutes... could have been so much worse!!!

Disappearing off all day on our bikes (no helmets) to the nature reserve or river estuary (that had sinking mud) ... From age 6 upwards (big sis 8). Instructions were 'come home when the street lights go on' or 'when you're hungry' (back then in my area street lights went on about 5-6pm on a timer I think) . We didn't even have watches and mum had no idea where we were or if we'd gone to someone's house or even in to town, really we could be anywhere over a 6 mile radius. We once cycled 3 towns away but couldn't get back before dark. Dad found us in his car and tore us off a strip "for worrying your mother". We sat with my sis's bike mostly on our laps and mine and hand hers in the boot with a Bungie holding boot lid down

Even my 14 &16 year olds need to tell me where they're going, who with and what time they're expected back and to text any changes in plans, these days. I'm happy for the to have freedom just not the wonderfully adventurous free for all I had at that age!
But we have crazy traffic now. Something that wasn't such an issue in my childhood.

I used to horse ride with my legs bailered twined to the girth. I worked for 6 weeks 6-11pm for £50 a week but I had the best times ever even when the cheque bounced 3 times. I learnt about hard work and determination

This. On the Freeway. 55mph. Totally normal until late '80s.

My parents had a boat and at times I'd be allowed to take the inflatable dingy out to see on my own

My parents thought I was safe so long as I had the oars and a life jacket that had a helicopter winch clip on it

I shudder now at how unsafe it was

Playing hide and seek in the half built houses on the new estate near us. The best hiding places were the flats where the only way up to the next floor was on ladders. Big drops in the interior to the floors below in the void that would later become the stairwell. Open access to the site, no gates or fences to stop general public (or 11 year olds) entering. Parents thought I was at the swings in the playing field at the bottom of the road but the building site next door to it was a lot more fun.

Getting horribly lost in a forest after wandering off the path on a school trip aged 5. Eventually found my way back, having hacked through brambles, to be told off for holding up the coach but no one had actually been concerned enough to go and search.

Also remember various members of my family squeezing into the back of a Robin Reliant (Del Boy car) and sitting on the floor without seatbelts on a day out to the seaside.

Lordy, as a parent I do so appreciate modern health and safety.

Oh and we'd scrump apples and pears and berries for lunch, whilst we were out. And knock at people's houses for a cup of water 😮 Mostly friends houses and they'd then come join us, but sometimes strangers if it was really hot and dusty. Wow, I'd forgotten that.

Haven't RTFT, will go back and read.

Being loose in the 'boot' of the car when (estate car) the seats were full of adults.

Being driven by my dad when he'd a few too many.

Being left to roam around sheer cliff tops a mile from the camp site from about the age of 6/7 while on hols in Dorset. (only child)
(i suspect that last one is more about my parents than the era)

Playing the game where you climbed up on the window sill then had to travel round the room without touching (or falling!) the floor!

Swinging out from the swing when standing and landing face first in the snow!

I baby sat aged 11 or 12 for a family of children across the road. The children were age 2-7. After a while I heard a baby crying that I didn’t know they had. It had been asleep in a carry cot behind the sofa.
I thought I should feed it so went to the kitchen and put some milk in a baby bottle from the sink and fed it!

I used to leave the house in the morning and go get, or meet, my pals and that was it until the time I had been told to be home by. Sometimes that was lunch time, but sometimes we all went to one pal's for lunch. I played on the shore, climbing the rocks that were exposed at low tide. None of us ever got caught out, because we knew to keep an eye on the tide turning.

We would also go into the woods and play there, or down by the burn catching minnows.

When I moved house, I went away on my bike with the girl next door the same day the furniture was moved in and I had no idea where I was going or how long I was going to be. I used to ride my bike out to the riding stables and stay there all day both days at the weekend, mucking out, grooming, leading ponies, from age 10. If I helped out both days I earned a riding lesson. DM paid for one lesson a week for me, so I got to ride both days!

I once came home from Northamptonshire to Aberdeenshire sitting on a box between the front passenger seats of the car. There were my DB and cousins in the back seat and I was smallest. No seat belts. It was great!

Short cuts across live railway sidings.
London Victoria, ten Clapham Junction, you know, small, quiet stations.

karlwho I am so going to try that

School playground in the 1950s, about a dozen girls lined up, bigger girl walked behind each one, put her arms round each one of us and squeezed until we passed out and were then laid out on the floor until we came to. No idea why we did it, teachers looked on completely unconcerned, just totally bizarre looking back.

I was always playing in the road - thank god it was a cul de sac! I don’t think I ever had a crash hat or any other protective gear for my bike. And I think I spent most of my summers swimming in rivers!

I also distinctly remember my Aunty taking us places in her normal estate car. 1 adult and about 8 children in the car at any one point! 🙈

A few off the top of my head, from growing up in the 80s in Ireland and in no particular order are:
We used to play in the river in our estate, unsupervised by any adults.

No seatbelts and sitting on someone's lap in the passenger seat or back seat. 8 or 9 people used to squash into a 5 seat car, quite often.

Being left in the sitting room without a fireguard on the coal fire for short periods, from very young.

Crossing main roads without any crossings or adults from aged 6! (That was probably the most dangerous!)

Making tea/coffee for lots of visitors at once from aged 7/8, unsupervised.

Unlimited fizzy drinks on high days and holidays.

Approaching and playing with unknown dogs, as most people used to let dogs out to wander. Very few people in my area actually took their dogs for regular walks in the local area.

Going into other people's houses on the estate, without parental knowledge or permission. Most of these were other children's homes, but some were just single adults or couples who didn't seem to mind random children coming in for a visit!