This is a very important debate because in these politically correct times we all have to to be very sensitive to the feelings of other people, particularly children and their parents. To ask permission from a parent, guardian or teacher before taking pictures of strange children is a common courtesy as well a safeguard for yourself. But I suspect many of the pictures in this comepetition are of members of our own families and therefore the problem should not arise. Good sense should always prevail and a photograph of a child snapped innocently and with no offensive motive or content would only upset the most uptight individual.
Father Ted asks when does a child cease to be a child? In different countries I believe the law lays down different ages. In the UK it's 16.

The red in No. 1 is fabulous. But my fav is the B+W of No.2, what a cracker.

I live in Durham and I'm a member of Durham Photographic Society where we have a lot of VERY enthusiastic snappers. There is a handful of us who use Pentax and we're very brand loyal, the rest of them are promiscuous, sleeping around with Canon, Nikon and other lesser makes.
My own recent photo expeditions have taken me a lot to Tyneside which is just up the road from Durham. The Newcastle/Gateshead Quayside is a vibrant place for photography and I have found inspiration at the Northumbria University Campus and Tanfield Railway. Further afield I've twice recently been to Salford Quays in Manchester, to the Whitby Goths Festival and to various other locations.

Thanks Martin. Don't know where my comments on this picture went to, but I remember writing them. I've added them again now so we seem to be up to date.
david

Can you imagine how I felt. It's gone midnight and the last entry has arrived , No. 42 with just 15 minutes to go. I'd already scribbled down comments on each and every one of the entries and set about keying them in. Yes I know there is probably an easier way but I'm not that computer literate to grasp simple things like word processing. (I joined PU in July and only discovered the week before last that there was such a thing as a weekly competition. I entered and, bugger it, found I was the next week's judge. Today I discovered The Forum, thanks for Giving Tree giving me a nudge.)
Any way, after keying in about half my comments I scrolled across to check a picture on another page and - the lot was GONE. Language David!!!
I gave up the attempt, keyed in comments on my top choices and went to bed. Today I returned to the task and I have now commented on all your entries.
I must say I enjoyed them very much, there were great pictures.