What’s the youngest you let play outside by themself?

I let my 3yo play on the deck alone. It's not fenced but she knows she's not allowed off the deck and thus far has always followed that rule. She's clingy AF so usually comes inside again after like 30 seconds

I chose 8-11 but we’re not near any roads, neighbors, towns, etc. literally middle of nowhere with the biggest threat being wildlife in which we have trained dogs for. Otherwise it’s the creek that only gets knee deep during floods and the spring melt off. Other than that I would literally be watching my adult kids if we lived in a city 😂

At home he stays inside, we don't have much of a yard. At my parents, he runs a muck playing with the dog. Check up on him from time to time. Next door lives my grandparents, they watch/check up on him.

I think it depends of the child and environment. In my country we let them all play out as its safe, in UK I'm not that keen to let them out alone 😀

I’m not there yet (my son’s not even two), but we live on a 100 acre farm in the middle of nowhere so I assume I’ll be fine with it somewhere around 7-8 as long as I can see him out a window, it would be different if we lived near a road or in town. We also have guard dogs so other animals coming on our property is not an issue at all.

By 8, most kids have a sense of right and wrong. But also, by 8, they should know their boundries of where their allowed to play and should know how to get to safety if there was ever a reason. If you haven't taught them yet, don't fret! There's still time. Take it slow. Give a boundary, then if they fail to cooperate, then you just try again next time. And not every kid is ready at 8. When I tried at 8 with my daughter, she would hide. Never anywhere off property, but she'd find a corner and plop down and wouldn't respond to me when I called. I decided she wasn't ready for indepent outside time just yet. She's 13 now and is able to help me teach the boundaries by example, so my 2nd born caught on way sooner.

Not sure we’re not there yet I let my 3 year old play by himself but now that I have his sisters I can’t have them all out under his authority lol so I’m not sure but we’re not allowing them out without someone watching them in the backyard at tots all together