I will admit while I love children I DESPISE the school age 5-10 age group I really do ... it is not my forte! I have peers who work solely with this age group and their advice is always have as much OUTSIDE TIME whenever possible ...... they get enough structure and crafts and crap in school.

So before school is basically focused on waking up if they arrive really early with a little boob tube for them or reading and puzzles or board games as options in the early morning cause their own children are generally still sleeping and than having breakfast/snack and than washroom routine and getting ready for the walk to school and they go a little early and let them run around on the playground before the bell goes and after school they just pick them up and snack and than outside time again ... in the winter they play outside before coming inside so as not to have to redress snowsuits twice and have a little later snack.

As for the walking issue ~ I agree walking independently is a privilege and if you cannot follow the safety rules you get harnessed here too mind you I have never had a child past TWO have to go back on the harness to the stroller the one time 'threat' of that is what could happen usually snaps an older child back into line ... by school age they should have MASTERED walking safely and taking off and so forth is a choice of disrespect not an 'impulse' of a toddler and it should come with a natural consequence of being 'contained' if you cannot trust them!