Navigating the 'in between' years

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

Ds is almost 11 (in year 6), and in the last few months I've noticed a lot of changes in how his peers socialise and I'm struggling to navigate it. He's always done a lot of out of school activities, but as secondary school is around the corner all of his friends are dropping out of things likes cubs/scouts, swimming club, judo etc. He's started saying he isn't sure he wants to continue with the clubs if no one he knows his going.
There is suddenly a lot of socialising via online gaming and phones which DS currently has pretty limited access to. I'm not at all anti -tech - he has a switch, a tablet and a phone for occasional use if he goes somewhere without me - but he isn't yet allowed to have constant access to whatsapp etc to be able to talk to his friends. I've let him go on a group chat to play games a few ties when it's just his close group, but he isn't in any whole class or wider chats (currently just 4 of them who I know well in the group)
I've always been pretty relaxed around screen time on his days when he doesn't have a club, taking the view that he's getting lots of exercise from his activities so a few lazy days doesn't matter. If he drops the clubs what then - is it really just online socialising we have to look forward to until he's old enough to be out of the house with his friends more frequently?
Any help appreciated - what do your 10-13 year olds do to socialise that isn't gaming? How do you find the balance between allowing enough online time to not be isolated from his peers and still ensuring they have plenty of other interests?

I have three teens. Mine have all carried on with their main sports clubs (football, netball, cricket), but I agree it is dependent on the social side of things (ie some of their friends doing it too). DD dropped swimming club in year 6 and they all dropped cubs, but have now started doing D of E at school which is similar. They've also picked up things that are offered at secondary school but weren't available at primary (eg orchestra, athletics, badminton). In other words - don't despair! There may be a bit of shuffling around but if he is the sort of kid that likes joining clubs and being active it's likely that will continue. When you find out what secondary school he's going to, maybe you could get hold of a list of the after school clubs on offer and look at it together - get him all excited about which ones he may choose to attend in September? Also a great way to make new friends.

Mine all socialise online a lot too, both on social media and by multi-player gaming. When he joins secondary you will probably need to let go a bit and allow him to join class WhatsApp groups etc. It's a big part of fitting in.

My DS is 11, year 7.

He plays sport at least one evening a week, plus Saturday and Sunday mornings, and also does scouts once a week.

He has 2 friends who live very locally and they usually spend weekends going between each others houses or playing in the park together. Sometimes another friend will come over to hang out, or he will go to their house for a bit, but that's reliant on parents for lifts. They are old enough to go swimming together too, as long as they have a way of getting there, ditto cinema.

He also does socialise online via WhatsApp, or often on a group call - either chatting or gaming together.

Year 6 was dreadful for WhatsApp, they were all too young for it really - but you have to learn somewhere I suppose - it's settled down a lot since they started secondary school.

Thanks for your responses both. I'm hoping that by letting phone use and Whatsapp in gradually with his close friends he can learn sensible usage and when the inevitable changes happen at secondary it will be less of a novelty for him.
Great idea about looking at clubs at his secondary school, we don't know his place yet but would be very surprised if he doesn't get his first choice as it isn't oversubscribed, he goes to the feeder school and its at the end of our street! D of E would be a good call and replace much of what he enjoys about cubs at the moment so I'll look into that.
His closest friendship group are lovely but two of them don't really do any activities and never have, and they aren't really ever allowed to socialise away from their own home. His other friend is also a neighbour so he does get to hang out with him sometimes. I think it doesn't help that his friends all have siblings so aren't always at as much of a loose end as DS is!

He's carrying on with football luckily so getting two days a week out from that. I love this age as he's great fun to be around but my goodness there's a lot of variety in what his peers are and aren't allowed to do!

My DS is 11 too, and I can relate to some of what you say OP. It does feel like a time of transition. Apart from online socialising he meets his friends in the park to play there quite regularly, and sometimes when the weather is bad he meets them at a nearby Costa for hot chocolate. Otherwise we also quite often have his friends round (they go through phases of different interests - recently they spent ages looking through and swapping Match Attacks cards), or he goes to their houses. He doesn't have a huge circle - 5 or 6 good friends.

He still does some clubs and enjoys Scouts, swimming, choir and guitar lessons.

Interesting to hear that lots play out with friends. That doesn't seem to be a thing among his group even though we have a park in walking distance that they could use. Maybe in the summer I'll suggest it to the other parents. Out of his group of 5 there is a set of twins who don't really go to peoples houses, play out or go to any clubs, so that I think pushes the wider group to gaming!

He's definitely wanting to continue with football and swimming for now at least, but I think swimming will go when he gets to secondary so hopefully he'll find something to replace it. He's hoping there will be a basketball club to try!