seconding to remember that you're playing a preteen, not a preschooler. your character should already know stuff like their colors, shapes, basic communication skills, etc. if you pay attention to children's media, especially aimed at 10-12s, you'll see a LOT of emphasis at this point in forming social groups and maintaining relationships (like what to do after a fight with a friend or if you're being bullied and whatnot). basically (and very generally), this is the age when kids start looking for a place in society and seeking to conform to (or defy) social and/or group norms.
this is kind of tricky to talk about because a lot of it depends on so many factors, but very VERY generally: your character will probably have some interest in dressing and acting to look 'cool' or 'pretty' (and even if they don't, they'll at least be aware that other kids are holding them to a standard). they may seek out someone to look up to and use as a role model, probably someone who is slightly older and (usually) of the same gender, and they may try to emulate them and seek validation from them. they may form crushes; idk if you want to deal with puberty, but some kids hit it around this age so that's another thing to think about. more value tends to be placed on gender-specific activities, dress, and friends (and again, even if your character is defying that, it's probably going to be deliberate rather than actually not understanding that this is the social norm).
specific hobbies and interests may be coming into the foreground. they may not know yet what they want to be when they grow up, but by this point they would probably know roughly what areas they're into and what they're talented at.
an interest in appearing mature and "grown-up" may be emerging. they will most likely know common swear words, unless they're incredibly sheltered; they will probably be aware that sex exists, although they may not know the particulars (this is very, very dependent on parents, area, education, etc). they will probably not be hitting parental rebellion yet, but they might be embarrassed by or angry at their parents or family members if they feel they don't fulfill a social standard.
this is all more on the older end of things; a 10-year-old might not care as much as a 12-year-old, or your character may be advanced or a late bloomer or something. idk if you're thinking about a canon character or an oc, but remember that so much of this is dependent on so many different things, so don't worry TOO much, and don't be afraid to exercise some artistic license (since we are after all talking about pretending to be a fictional character in a game, not actual child-rearing).
and i know an above anon and i already said this but again, please, do not write them like a two-year-old who tawks wike dis, tee-hee. i don't know you but i know you're better than that, anon.
Re: Child Characters
this is kind of tricky to talk about because a lot of it depends on so many factors, but very VERY generally: your character will probably have some interest in dressing and acting to look 'cool' or 'pretty' (and even if they don't, they'll at least be aware that other kids are holding them to a standard). they may seek out someone to look up to and use as a role model, probably someone who is slightly older and (usually) of the same gender, and they may try to emulate them and seek validation from them. they may form crushes; idk if you want to deal with puberty, but some kids hit it around this age so that's another thing to think about. more value tends to be placed on gender-specific activities, dress, and friends (and again, even if your character is defying that, it's probably going to be deliberate rather than actually not understanding that this is the social norm).
specific hobbies and interests may be coming into the foreground. they may not know yet what they want to be when they grow up, but by this point they would probably know roughly what areas they're into and what they're
talented at.
an interest in appearing mature and "grown-up" may be emerging. they will most likely know common swear words, unless they're incredibly sheltered; they will probably be aware that sex exists, although they may not know the particulars (this is very, very dependent on parents, area, education, etc). they will probably not be hitting parental rebellion yet, but they might be embarrassed by or angry at their parents or family members if they feel they don't fulfill a social standard.
this is all more on the older end of things; a 10-year-old might not care as much as a 12-year-old, or your character may be advanced or a late bloomer or something. idk if you're thinking about a canon character or an oc, but remember that so much of this is dependent on so many different things, so don't worry TOO much, and don't be afraid to exercise some artistic license (since we are after all talking about pretending to be a fictional character in a game, not actual child-rearing).
and i know an above anon and i already said this but again, please, do not write them like a two-year-old who tawks wike dis, tee-hee. i don't know you but i know you're better than that, anon.