AIBU to find a group of small boys just chatting at the playground unusual?

Yes, I must admit, it does seem a bit odd at that age...I can see your point :)

I think it's cute too. Little boys having a lovely chat with their mates. I think it's more strange that you have assumed they don't know how to physically play and that the kids running around are superior to the ones having a conversation with their friends.

I work in a school with this age group. It’s true that a larger majority of the boys are running around like headless chickens but these aren’t necessarily the ones that ‘know how to play’ it’s more likely they don’t. The smaller group who chat, when playing inside during choosing time tend to play far more constructively/imaginatively and contribute to whole class and group discussions. This is skill far harder to develop than charging around and indoor play is where the inability to play shows up. It’s is generally the super active ones that run about playing tig or climbing high on the play equipment that need supported to play appropriately indoors. It’s also incredibly common for groups of girls this age to pop their jackets on the playground floor to sit on and have a good chat. Boys often generally take a bit longer to mature into that but there are always exceptions within a year group

Completely normal behaviour.

They aren’t discussing the relative merits of Tolstoy vs Dostoyevsky, probably about football or the Marvel Universe.

My DS has always been very chatty. I don’t find it strange.

Gawd -this place is like point scoring snotty pitas.

Go and join the boys in the park OP you’ll get more pleasant chat than on here

My DS has never been a run around type of boy. At the park he will often inspect leaves, chat and wave to others, or just sit and watch everyone else.

What's the actual point of your thread?

So far: you asked the question, LOTS of posters came on to say it's not unusual and you're just arguing with them all.
Are you actually ok? Or you're just going to argue till the cows come home that you're right, despite many people saying you're not.
Go do something more productive than watch and analyse children that are not yours and argue on mumsnet that their behaviour is odd.

My son and his friend spent an hour discussing the best bit of a cucumber the other day so…

My son at that age used to spend most lunchtimes with a Japanese lunchtime supervisor who was teaching him Japanese. Goodness knows what you would have made of him! He's fine now by the way, plenty of friends and doing very well in his Japanese class :)
Kids are just all different you know, as long as they are happy and doing no harm it's best just to let them get on with it.

Maybe your DS is a little behind on his verbal skills ? Thanks ok, usually everyone catches up!

This was DS. They would be talking about Pokémon, Lego, Star Wars. It progressed to Minecraft, girls and sport! They still meet up now when home from
University and talk and talk - now more about politics and news but still lots about film and computer games. They are just geeky!
They would still play, but when together they had a kind of chatty clan! DS had other friends where it was monkey bars and footballs!

My son at that age would prefer the quiet chat group, if it had been on offer and gravitated to it to compare Pokémon etc. But also would be quite happily ok, in he moment, to have "tolerated" (as someone else has put it blue arsed flies). It takes all sorts.

I never once got involved in his friendships apart from when I have had to advocate for him when he couldn't himself.

I honestly would not have noticed to the situation you described of a group of 4 kids talking to each other in a park. Unless I thought there was some detriment to them or my child.

I'm not sure on your query?

They will probably be talking about Pokemon 😁
I wonder why it has bothered you so much though @ShedShedShed does your son have plenty of friends? Can he chat and have conversations with peers? Is he 'boisterous'?

I don't think it is unusual though. Again, they will most likely be talking about Pokemon and how lovely that they seem to be a like minded bunch.

It does seem that you are the one that possibly needs "help"...

Why does it seem unusual to you? Because it is not your personal experience? I teach that age group. While many boys (and girls) like to spend their time playing with balls/equipment/running around there are always some that prefer to chat or draw.

Not sure why you’re getting a hard time about this thread, I’d also find that strange for that age group if they’re park regulars and they never actually play at the park and just stand and chat.

Many posters said it isn’t unusual including a teacher.

No one is attacking you and pretty much everyone is saying it's NOT unusual. You have no idea whether they can play without an adult's direction from the snippet you see at the playground. Maybe they've tired themselves out by riding their bikes or swimming earlier.

No that’s not correct, lots of posters before this have said it’s completely normal to stand around chatting. They have said children like to do this, that and the other and it is normal to see children doing this. Just because not every child chats (because some are running, some are on the play equipment etc) doesn’t mean it’s not normal, the vast majority of posters have said yes their child does this or they see children doing this even if theirs doesn’t. But you keep repeating that it is unusual. It isn’t unusual! My children did this. Not every single time, but they did this.

They are just more mature to have attention span and have conversation, maybe private school kids. Too mature to just run around the playground

Where do you live OP? It’s been bloomin’ hot here for weeks on end and far too hot for running around from mid-morning to late afternoon. My ds is a teen but he had his mates have spent most of this summer sitting in the shade in gardens / parks just chatting….they even get in to a little huddle and chat quite quietly….playing a mega game of battleships or top trumps must be plotting to take over the world. At a younger age they’d generally be quite active and then go and find somewhere to sit and chat, first time after lock down when they were finally allowed to socialise in the playground they spent hours chatting to each other….clearly starved of peer companionship!

Did they not let your son chat too so they've annoyed you?

It seems strange to insist how unusual it is for boys to chat.

I had 2 boys. One ran round like a loon but the other preferred talking to his friends and swapping football stickers to actually running about.

It's clearly unusual that 6 year olds stand around chatting instead of playing in the playground. How is it "clearly" unusual? My 6yo is a chatterbox. She'll chat to anyone of any age, about anything. My oldest was the same at that age. Some of their friends are the same, some are quieter/shy/less confident/whatever. Children are people, people are all different, there is no "normal".

Why are you spending your time "observing" children who aren't yours? That's such strange behaviour imo.

Why has this bothered you? Please consider and answer genuinely instead of saying you're just asking if it's unusual. You're not just asking that, your tone here is a clear dig at young children.
What's to say they NEED an adult to direct them? It sounds more to me like they enjoy chatting which is well within the 'norm' for their age. What's wrong with them chatting instead of playing? Chatting takes more social skill than swinging on monkey bars. Is that what it is that's got to you? Comparison to your own child and wanting go criticise children who aren't like him? There is absolutely nothing wrong with a 6 year old playing on the equipment either. I'm sure all the children are happy and thriving in their own ways.