Kids playing outside together (covid)

[Sailorsgirl44]

I live in an estate with about 50 or so houses in our section - surrounding a big green area. It is a lovely place to bring up kids. My 3 kids (9, 7 and 5) have largely stayed indoors since this pandemic began. I take them to a close by beach most days for a run around. Or to the woods or fields close by.
But most days there are 10 to 15 kids playing outside from a mix of houses. They've stopped knocking on the door now as I kept saying mine couldn't come out.
But I get annoyed every time we drive in or out as my youngest in particular will ask why he can't play outside with the other kids. And we can hear them shrieking and the go carts, etc going past our house.. I'm questioning myself at this stage - it seems crazy to have them indoors with too much screen time.

Children under 12 don't socially distance in Scotland. I'd be happy to have them out playing.

Our kids go to play one on one but sometimes other kids run around with them. Not fussed as these same kids are in. Classroom or school together all day long.

Also, you’ve got 3 children who are close in age, so they can get a lot out of playing together. Other children who don’t Have siblings or not near enough in age to play or if parents don’t have the time to take them out each day might be making different choices. My fears about outside play are pretty minimal.

DD is an only but I don't let her join the group going round our close. There are at least 4 households mixing, and 3 different schools. I think they are also too young and bloody noisy!

Allowing kids to play out has been one of Scotland's better moves, many other rules are just daft or going a step further than England.

However if you've stuck to the rules until now. Depending on the infection rates in the area you are in I think I'd relent. We could be in this a while yet and people need to live a little.

Mixing outside or in schools is the same isn't it? So if they're together at school all day, whats the harm in playing together outdoors?
It when parents let their kids play with other kids, but demand schools close is where I get confused

I'd love to have a green or close my kids could play in with neighbours (we live on quite a busy road).

I think I'd let them play out, they can play in the playgrounds where you'll get a mix of kids after all

There are no social distancing rules for children under 12 in the Netherlands either.
The government took the stance that the damage to their social, emotional, and mental development was a greater threat than Covid. The risk of transmission is also lower outdoors than that in a classroom with poor air flow.

Do we live in the same place? 🤣 I live meet the beach too and there’s loads of kids around here. But similar here. Mine aren’t allowed out on their own due to covid and because they have sen and not ready to play out alone anyway which upsets DS

I have no issue with children playing out in small
Groups if playing with the children they mix with in school but larger groups and mixed ages aren’t ideal currently imo. Some primary age children go to different schools here too so they are all mixing.

Children need the fresh air though, tough one.

In ireland the schools are closed so the minute I heard that i have stopped letting my children play out, its easier with the older ones as they play xbox with their friends etc but my younger kids keep asking me to go out, it doesnt help that there are kids knocking at the door every few minutes, as we live on a road with lots of kids. I wish everyone was on same page. I let the younger one play out a few days ago but she is 7 and cant social distance and i saw her and 3 little friends all nearly on top of each other, so i am not takng the risk again. Its very hard isnt it.

as PP said when they pack into schools every day where is the sense of keeping small groups at home - at least they are out doors.