At What Age Did You Allow Your Children to Play in Their Neighborhood?

It entirely depends on the neighborhood. I live on a dead end street that not many people drive on so it's relatively safe for my kids to play in the general area. But if I lived in a different neighborhood I would not let my kids outside at all.

It depends on your children, and the area you live in.

I have an almost 4 year old and she has been playing in neighborhood for the past year. We have great neighbors that she plays with (older girls 7 and 11) who help watch her while outside, especially when she was younger. We are always outside as well but over the past months it has beenm common for them to play outside while we are doing stuff inside, she is becomming a little less supervised by us. If it werent for the age and maurity of the girls I dont think we would let them be unsupervised. It really depends on your comfort level and you neighborhood. Everyone on our block knows my daughter and the other kids and are always very cautious driving down the street, my daughter also knows not to go in the street. They also ride their bikes around the block. At our old house I dont think she would be outfront much because there were not a lot of kids and people sped quit a bit through the nieghborhood, but our new house I feel very comfortable with her outside with the other kids.

when my older son was a toddler we lived in an apartment, so never. but when he as 2 we moved to a wonderful little house in a wonderful neighborhood full of kids, and that's where my 2nd was born. so they had it good. they were taught to stay out of the circle (not much traffic there but still) and had free rein of the yards. none of us had fences so the kids ran in a wolfpack across a whole spectrum of yards. so from the time they were old enough to follow instructions ('stay out of the road' or 'make sure you're in sight of the house') i turned 'em loose.
:) khairete
S.

We live on a very busy street (couple thousand cars a day going 30-50mph), with a lot of foot traffic (couple hundred people walking back and forth to the university, shopping, homeless, etc.), 12 level 3 (high risk) registered sex offenders with 1/2 mile. (We actually live in a very safe neighborhood as far as the city is concerned, but the city doesn't have actual 'neighborhoods' ALL of the residential areas have 30mph speed limits and no sidewalks much less cul de sacs). So I don't let my 8yo play in the neighborhood. He can play out back whenever he wants, but out front one of us needs to be with him.

But 3 years ago when we lived an hour north in a family friendly area I would let him play, and when we're in other areas (the mountians, visiting family in the midwest, in small towns all over the country, or in countries that are family friendly -like Italy-) I'll let him play with other kids quasi or completely unsupervised. It REALLY depends on the area. I'm all for free range kids... but also for not being stupid.

It depends on your situation. We have a large yard that backs to a large common area for some townhouses. This summer my 6 yo son and a few other boys were allowed to play with minimal supervision. They knew the boundaries and the consequences of not staying within them. It has worked out well. They get to be creative and run off some energy while we moms can get some stuff done.

In our yard and driveway since they were about 8 and 5. In the street not since recently have I allowed the 13 year old to take walks where she is totally out of my sight but she has to bring her cell phone so I can contact her. She also walks to a friend's house about a 10 minute slow walk away, but has to be expected. The now 10 year old will take a bike ride in the 2 cul-de-sacs near our house but also brings a cell phone. We live in a very quiet neighborhood, but there is still the occasional car, and perhaps because the streets are usually empty, those few cars will go 50 mph it seems. I am not as worried about them getting lost or kidnapped as I am about them getting clipped by a car driven by a distracted teenager. Having said that, I have been behind moms in minivans that are weaving all over the road because they are trying to hand their kids in the backseat something, or find something in a diaper bag, while driving. And then there are the dads in black cars with darkened windows coming home late (when my kids are playing outside after dinner), so if visibility is low, they have to stay in our yard. I will also let them play in the large field behind the library where there is a playground and ballfield, while I am getting books in the library for about 15-30 minutes or so. And after half-days at school, the 13 year old will walk about 20 minutes from the school over main street to the library. So a lot older than I was, when at about 6 we would be allowed to roam the neighborhood it seems.

I live on a really quiet road on the out skirts of town (last road you can be on and still be in town) I have 4 under 10 yrs old... I also have older kids that hang out at my house some days (day care situation)... I will allow the kids to be in OUR yard, or our very next door neighbors yard while I am in the house... They know the rules of BACK YARDS only... If they want to go across to the other neighbors yard (across the street) they ask me first...
I sit in the middle of the street while they ride their bikes up and down our block (2 houses down one way, 2 houses down the other way) why? there are some people who don't have kids on the one end of the street and they just don't seem to get that a 2 yr old on a bike may not look or realize that you are going 40 MPH instead of 20... I have let my 2 oldest go all the way around the block (4 left turns) only when the 14 year old is with them... and there is no stopping or leaving anyone in the dust! I figure who is gonna mess with a gaggle of people? lol We have 200 acres of grass land behind us... I let them roam it in the summer as long as they can hear me yell and stay together... (I have a canned air horn so I'm not screaming)... :-) Adventure is good... But limits are also!

Our house tends to be the one the kids gather at and I am ok with that!!!! We have allowed our 2 oldest to walk their one friend home (6 houses down on the same side of the street) But only if they are together OR the oldest takes the dog with her... (It takes a total of 9 minutes there and back... I time it and call the other parents to let them know that they are on their way... )
I go for the better safe than sorry with my kids... let them think you give them the "freedom " they want but in a safe protected way! lol

Statisticly it is safer now days then any other time... Its the media that blows it all out of proportion! But I still wouldn't want my kids to be roaming around unsupervised... Thats how trouble starts... Think of the gangs that roam... alot of young teens/ preteens... And I wouldn't want to be that mom that IF something did happen to their child could have prevented it by being just a little bit proactive...

Depends on your neighborhood, traffic levels, neighbors, etc... My oldest is 5 and I allow him to play in the front yard without me, but going in the street is an automatic inside. My daughter is 4 and I will allow her to draw with chalk on the front porch while I run in and out, but leaving the porch is an automatic inside.

right now my daughter is 3 and she plays outside with the neighbor kids when I'm out with her or the neighbor lady is (we take turns). Sometimes if the older neighbor girl, who has taken the babysitter class and CPR class is out, I'll let her watch her and the other kids play while I run in and do quick cleaning for 15 or 20 minutes. I think I'll let her play out longer without me starting when she's about 5ish. We live in a really safe cul-de-sac, so there isnt a lot of traffic in case the ball they're playing with rolls in the street or something, although all the kids know to look both ways first, even the smartest kid will forget once in a while.

My kids are 6 and 2. The little one never plays without an adult obviously. The 6 year old only plays in at the neightbors' yards if we are outside too and the houses are only 2-3 houses away. I hav ehad more formal playdates where I know they play outside, but here I am talking about her sort of running around wiht the neighbor kids from house ot house. I am far more conservative than my neighbors who have 7-9 year old kids who just play outside all the time. This summer, I jus tstarted letting my daughter ride her bike around the block while I am in the yard - our block is only one row of 4 houses - but I am a nervous mess when I do :)

Hi, C.!
I don't know that I will ever let my daughter roam the way my brother and I did when we were kids. I wish she could. She loves the outdoors and exploring. We set out together. I just can't leave her unattended. Anything can happen. Her safety is my top priority. It doesn't have anything to do with the neighborhood we live in nor any doubts about her but rather the day and age we are living in.

It is great that you are thinking about this and inviting others to weigh in. The truth is that you know your situation better than anyone. You know your kids and your neighborhood. You will have to go with what you are comfortable with--what your instinct tells you to do. Best wishes:)

I probably let my kids play in front of the house without me staying out there 100% of the time, when they were 7&9. They knew they could go 2 houses in either direction, and not cross the street. And they knew they must stay together. If one of them had to go to the bathroom, the other came in as well. And I checked on them regularly. This just gave me an opportunity to let them play while I was cooking dinner, or folding a load of laundry.

My 11yo daughter started leaving our block last summer, but she's always with friends and always keeps in touch. Either one of her friends has a cell phone, or I give her mine to use. She usually stays within about 3 blocks of our house. And I keep the time frames rather short... I don't want her to go out the whole afternoon without knowing where she is. And I know exactly where she is the whole time. If they're on so&so's block, I know I can go there at any time and find her. If they're playing capture the flag at the park, I know that she'll be there if I drive by. If she wants to change locations or plans, she calls me first. I've also known most of her friends (and their parents) for at least a few years, and communicate with them often.

my son was 3 1/2 when we moved from an apartment to a duplex with a giant shared back yard. i was VERY hesitant and hated it, watched him every S., and the rule was i had to be able to see him. it also bothered me because the only kids to play with were a 1 year old and a 6 year old. not ideal. i am still not thrilled about it, but am getting used to it. i would NOT let him go "out" into the neighborhood at this age. not because i don't trust him (although i know he is now 4 - and he can be very forgetful) but because i am worried that if i don't have my eyes on him, someone might snatch him. maybe paranoid but i also think it depends on the neighborhood you live in. i grew up in the country so we never had to worry about these things. i am nowhere near letting him go off on his own, so i can't answer that.