6yr old playing out alone

[Didimum]

Would this concern you?

6yr old (year 2) playing alone in a park for over an hour, not in eyeshot of their home.

I would be very surprised to see a 6 year old out by himself. That being said I played in the forest by myself at 6.. but I would be concerned for his safety and I would probably walk him home and speak to his parents. "I found little Jonny out in the park, he said he was allowed to be there on his own but I just wanted to check with you since there have been reports about pedophiles out and about and you never know". With a big, friendly smile so they don't feel accused. Maybe you can shame them in to being responsible parents. If I'd see him again I would definitely tell school !

Sorry to jump on this post but I’ve had similar thoughts about a kid in the park near me. He plays with my son. He is in Year 4 and says he is 9 so must have just turned 9. He is there most days and always on his own. This feels borderline. He does look small. Same height as my 7 year old so maybe I just think he looks too young to be playing in the park on his own but maybe 9 is ok? Or is it?

@Didimum oh, ok, if you don't know the family, it may seem strange yes.
@Oriunda I get what you say, but the truth is there are in fact genuinely friendly and protective adults and children should know that they can reach out to them.
But I don't know what OP should do, tbh.

Are they alone or with other kids?
Small kids play outside here, but with other children, siblings etc… They know not to leave the estate. It’s near a busy road.

Need more context to the area they were playing, where I live there are houses and apartments all in a square around a park and parents can see children playing from the windows. So seeing young children playing is common.
But it really does depend on the surroundings

They were completely alone.

Just a residential road with a playground on it. It’s not an estate or a square. Overlooked by houses but not the child’s house.

When I was 6 I was living in the mountains with my grandparents and going off for walks by myself for an hour by myself and wandering all over the mountainside, on and off the trails.
My grandparents didn’t bat an eyelash.
That was decades ago.
I can’t imagine people thinking that would be normal today or trusting that their children wouldn’t get lost or harmed or kidnapped or something.
I did it every day.

Alone? No. Not ok. I live extremely rurally on a large property, no people anywhere nearby, and a trained dog out with my dc, and I still don’t allow them to go out of eyeshot of the house alone. In a group with a walkie talkie, yes, but not by themselves at that age.