Children who got home from school 2 or 3 hours before mom and dad got home from work.
Nowadays if a neighbor notices a kid playing basketball in his own driveway waiting for mom or dad to get home from work, he calls Child Protective Services and the kids get taken away and the parents wind up in jail.
That is not a neighbor. That is a government spy.
A neighbor would go over and watch the kids while they play, to keep them safe. Or have the kids spend the time at their house, to protect them.