What’s your Y2 child playing?

[IncreasinglyMadWomanInTheAttic]

DD (7, Y2) teacher has suggested that she might be “socially a bit behind” and that her games are a bit young. As far as I can tell, she plays mostly with the boys rather than the girls and they are still playing imaginary games - perhaps pretending to be Harry Potter characters or unicorns or whatever. Are these games too young for 6/7 year olds? And if so, what games are your Y2 DC enjoying playing at playtime - what could I suggest to her to help move her along?

Her teacher has also suggested that she doesn’t always read social cues correctly (and she is being assessed for inattentive ADHD). I am a bit surprised by this because some of the kids we have over to play also seem to be pretty stumped by social cues. We have spoken to her about being a detective and watching for the signs that her friends might feel more comfortable talking about something else etc, and how we can turn the conversation to ask them about themselves and what they think/enjoy, so that everyone feels included, but I’m wondering whether it is really very unusual to need help with learning this? Do all of your Y2 DC always get all social cues, or do they sometimes talk about their own interests regardless of whether or not everyone else is fascinated? I guess I assumed that some of this was still going to be a work in progress in Y2, but I may be so close that I can’t see the wood for the trees and it is a skill that they should already have mastered at this point?

Thanks very much for your help.

She's in year 2, imaginative games are completely normal and fine!

WTF is wrong with the teacher saying she's to old to play these games?

I have a child in Year 3 and the girls play loads of role play games e.g. families, dogs, witches……They also play tag/tig/tick (whatever you call it) and with balls and hula hoops but I’d say most of the time they do pretend play. It strikes me as a really odd comment.

My Yr 2 boy constantly plays pretend, it's all he wants to do.

I'll be honest though, I've noticed in the past 6 months or so that some of the other boys are a lot more 'grown up' and want to chat football or Minecraft.

I think this is pretty usual really

Thank you. I thought so too but have been a little bit thrown by the comment.

Same for my Year 2 girl - she and her pals play pretend all the time (families, animals, school!), both at school and whilst on play dates. Same in terms of social cues as well - sometimes she’s aware and gauges things well, and sometimes she’s absolutely oblivious and in her own world. Totally standard for 6/7 year olds I’d have thought. The teacher sounds a bit keen on making armchair diagnoses….

Year 2 teacher over here. My class are still thick into imaginary play on the playground - police and baddies, puppies, fairies, Godzilla. Some like to take some colouring out with them as well and be more passive.

Thanks very much for your thoughts, everyone. CrazylazyJane, do you mind my asking - how are your class on social cues?

Unless the teacher is suggesting it’s her style of play that’s immature because she wants to control the imaginative play and tell others what to do rather than play collaboratively then I don’t get it. My DD is in Y3 and whilst they also play tag, on the climbing frame, with skipping ropes etc. but there’s still loads of imaginative play. She will often come home and say things like I didn’t want to play witches with one group so I played mermaids with another (for example). So sounds like they’re all at it!

Seems really odd to me too, yr5 DD still playing imagination games frequently with her mates, although there is defo a split now with those who have access to social media (specifically Tiktok!) who tend to sit around “talking about boring stuff”. God knows what your teacher would make of that

@IncreasinglyMadWomanInTheAttic It's a mixed bag. Some have it nailed but more need a bit of practice on recognising social cues and I would say that isn't just in my class but across our entire year group of 84 children. The whole point of being that age is that you're still learning how to be a civil human being. Many adults seem to be 'still learning' social cues.

Absolutely get your daughter assessed but based on the idea that her play is young for her chronological age I would see that as a problem or unusual at Year 2.

I’ve got a year 2 boy and I get the sense that he mostly plays tag or play fights with his friends at school - any time I see him (when picking up nursery age dc2) he just seems to be tearing round the playground at top speed!

BUT he plays absolutely adorable pretend games with his 4yo sister still - house, shops etc - and also small world stuff with his octonauts and sylvanians. I’d be gutted if my 6yo had moved on from pretending. It might be worth asking the teacher if it’s more to do with how she is playing the games (ie dictating rather than collaborating).

I did wonder that myself - she was at a very small nursery during lockdown with lots of children who were much younger than her and I suspect she fell into that habit- but we worked quite hard in Reception on making sure that we got out of it, and making sure that everyone had to have a turn at deciding what to play, who they wanted to be in the game, etc. Her teachers had reported to us by Y1 that it all seemed to be ok again and there was nothing age-inappropriate going on. I am going to try not to panic about it - I don’t necessarily want her sitting in the corner talking about TikTok!