Children of all ages can become involved in onlooker play. A child who is spending time watching other children at play is using onlooker play. The child may talk to the children they are observing by asking questions or giving suggestions; but the child does not enter into the play.
This type of play differs from unoccupied play in that the onlooker is definitely observing particular groups of children rather than anything that happens to be of interest at the time. The child stands or sits within speaking distance of the group so that they can see and hear everything that takes place.