Someone told me the fastest way to get kids to scram - in a creepy voice say, "Come to my van for some candy, I'll let you pet the puppies inside".
I get the humor [I hope], but you might have some posters put up on telephone poles in you go that route.
In that regards, I was detecting a huge tot lot some years back, it was towards evening an empty. So a kid ambles up all chatty, I didn't want t be rude so I explained a few things while detecting, he asked if he could use it and I said no, but you are welcome to watch if you want.
Just then his mothers come up and gives him holy hell - DO YOU KNOW THIS GUY ? Kids says, u hyeah I just met him ... WELL SO YOU DON'T KNOW THIS GUY WHAT THE HELL YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING TALKING TO MEN YOU DON' KNOW ?? Kid tries to stammer out an explanation but the mothers says lets get the hell out of here, if you ever do anything like that again I am going to kick your ass !
So I was back to being alone but was pretty rattled, felt like Chester Molester. So I lost interest in detecting that lot and left. As I was driving out I noticed a poster on the telephone pole right outside the school, guy wanted for trying to lure kids into his truck. Scruffy looking white guy with a backwards baseball cap - I wouldn't say it was the spitting image of me, but I am a scruffy looking white guy who wears a backwards baseball cap who drives a truck. So I quickly figured out why the mother was so rattled.
Another time in the water 2 very annoying kids splashed up on me, watcha doin, whactcha lookin for, what does that thing do, rapid fire questions from both of them, little arabic kids too who tend to be rude and pushy by default just like their parents. I said its a metal detector, well what are you looking for ? Metal. I tried to pick up my pace and they kept getting in the way and splashing all over, I said hey, I heard your mother call better see what she wants. Nah, she didn't. I finally said hey, you know you shouldn't talk to strangers right ? Girl asked if I was a stranger, I said yeah you don't know me so I'm a stranger so you better go.
She thought that was hilarious and got even more annoying, I practically jogged out of the water to get away from them.