Final answer:
The behavior where a child plays beside others and mimics their play without interacting is known as Parallel play. It is a developmental stage in children's social play that allows them to learn by observing and mimicking without direct interaction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The behavior described in the question, where a child plays beside others and mimics their play without direct interaction, is called Parallel play. This is a stage in the development of social play observed in children. During parallel play, children are engaged in similar activities and may play with similar toys but do so independently without concerted effort to cooperate or interact with others.
This type of play is important for the child's development as it lays the groundwork for more complex forms of social interactions that will occur later in life. Human children, much like the young of other species, learn extensively from play. By mimicking others, they gain skills and knowledge about social norms and their environment.