Kids riding their bikes at the campground

[rangarab]

I just want to know at what age people let their kids wander off riding their bikes alone.I was camping with a friend and she was letting her 4yr old and 6 yr old ride their bikes alone through the campground out of her sight.I thought this was too young but maybe I'm being overprotective.Any thoughts?

[dthurk]

We allow our 11 year old to range pretty much at will.  She visits the playgrounds on her own.  We require her to let us know where she will be, and quite often she has an FRS radio with her.  Age 4 and 6, I'd probably keep tighter rein of kids that age by walking along as they rode their bikes.  I don't think I'd let our kids wander on their own if they were that young.

[Starryart]

Oh I heartily agree with you on that one.  In this day and age there are too many scary things that can happen even in a seemly "safe" campground setting. If nothing else, I know that there have been numerous times that I have almost hit one of the little ones with my car because they run into me! or dart out in front of me. I drive exceedingly slow in campgrounds but sometimes 5 mph is not slow enough!
At 4 and 6 they are not responsible enough to watch for cars. Period! They weave in and out across the road and never look. And the minute you say "my child would not do that" they most assuredly will.
Once I had a 5 year old on a little bike start "racing"  my jeep (no parent in sight) and he came up from behind me and then jumped across in front of me screaming "I win!" Like I said I go very slow  but I nearly had a heart attack. Made me want to slap the parents who just turn the kids loose with no supervision.
Once a child is abducted away, hit by a car, drowned in water, or bit by something piosonous it will be too late to say "if only I had kept closer watch".
Better safe than sorry! Take care of those precious babies.

[tlhdoc]

It depends on the child and if they are alone or with others.  Every parent has to make that decision for there children.  

[DOUBBLEJ]

we dont let our 10 year old go to far and he has to check in every half hour
4 and 6 are way to young but ya have to let them be as they are but let your feelins be known.

[fritz_monroe]

We let our 7 y.o. go a certain distance from the site on his own.  This is always within line of sight.  He's a stickler for rules, so we don't really have to worry about him going past that point.  We also have him carry an FRS radio and he lets me know if he's leaving that path, like to go to the bath house.  This "freedom" doesn't come free to him.  He's got strict orders that if he's called on the radio, he is to immediately reply.