I wouldnt let me kids do any of these things by themselves and only in a group when they are teenages
mind you i use to walk to school by myself, come home to an empty house and stay there looking after my younger sister from when i was 9 years old
I also use to catch public transport to school which was a bus and a tram (90 mins away) when i was 12.
I used to walk to the shops etc which was 15 mins walk across a big main road from when i was 7 years old

Man my parents were crazy !!!!