I'd say tween age -- 11 or 12. More like 13/14 for an immature kid. Old enough to take a cell phone with them, not destroy it, and use it if necessary.

Under 10 is a hard no for me-- too vulnerable and too few street smart skills.

Answer would be different in a small town or a quiet suburban cul de sac.

10

8 or 9 seems way too young to me, especially with DC being how it is right now.

Anonymous wrote:15. I say this as an unsupervised child/teen in DC when I was a kid.

Why do you say that?

I'm a little surprised at how young the answers are, but cool.

15. I say this as an unsupervised child/teen in DC when I was a kid.

For responsible girls, 8-9. you can also get them a cheap flip phone and/or tracker.

Personally, I would not, ever.

We let our kids go around the neighborhood unsupervised about age 8, but they also had a smart watch so we could contact them.

12

I’m in the burbs in moco and let DD and a friend go together at 9.

10 or 11

Depends on the kid but prob 7, and definitely by 9 (assuming no larger issue like a developmental delay).

As far as the stuff you’re worried about - teach her! You can talk to strangers, but you never go anywhere with strangers. If anyone makes you uncomfortable, leave. If anyone REALLY makes you uncomfortable or tries to grab you, scream, fight, run away.

Teach her to tell any busybody that you live a block away and your mom is getting you soon. If some busybody is very concerned, she can give your number and tell them to call you. Make sure she knows your phone number.

Teach her that if there’s an emergency, she should come home or go to another parent with kids and ask for help.

I understand why you’re walking her there and back, but I’d make sure she knows how to cross safely. Let her lead YOU across, not vice versa. Cause she may need to come back sometimes (as you pointed out).

These are all very valuable, age appropriate lessons that are widely applicable, and this is a great excuse to focus on them.

I live in Silver Spring, so not exactly the same. I let my 7 year old go to the neighborhood playground on his own.

8 or 9

We live in Mt. Pleasant, a block from Bancroft (my kid’s elementary school). She wants to be able to stay at the playground without me with a friend. I would walk them there (the one block) and pick them up an hour later. They would have permission to leave the playground only to come home in case of injury, bathroom needs, etc. To get home, they have to cross one street with a stop sign and not a ton of traffic. They are responsible, rule-following kids. I have two main concerns: (1) shady characters and (2) other parents asking where their parents are and getting concerned.

At what age would you allow two kids to play on their own at a playground 1 block away in an urban environment? I’m intentionally not saying the age of my kid or her slightly older friend since I don’t want to influence answers. Thanks!