Yeah I spent probably 80% of my childhood out of the house around the neighborhood, at the park, playing with random kids who happened to be around, exploring, riding bikes, walking around town, finding cool new spots in the woods, finding old playing cards with pictures of risqué ladies stashed in a tree somewhere. No direct adult supervision.
The rule was to be back by dinner, or to call from a friend’s house with a good reason for being late.
I frankly think the world is a lot safer now than it was then, so it’s really sad that this isn’t as common in the US anymore.