Thanks for the helpful advice. Yes, my son has anxiety and probably some social anxiety, too.
He loves Minecraft and likes talking about it. But his friend now prefers to play tag instead of standing around talking about minecraft. He also likes Harry Potter and sometimes plays that with some girls if they are playing.
Last weekend we spent time with another school family and I noticed that my son and their son, who is in the same class, just circled around one another and couldn't engage. Then the other kid pulled out his mom's phone and showed my son a stop motion film he made. They spent the next couple of hours making films together and had a blast. So I think you are right that he needs something to latch onto to help him connect.
One problem is that he dislikes sports and is a bit clumsy. He'd prefer to talk or play something quiet and imagination/character based. Most of the activities at recess are pretty physical. I've asked the school to restart some recess clubs they had in the past, like "recycycling club" or chess or board games or something that is more structured and quiet.
Here's a question: how did your son figure out what kids were playing? Should I ask my son to walk around and investigate?
