At preschool, 4-year-old Maverick rarely joins his peers in play. Instead, he tends to carefully observe his classmates as they transition from one play center to the next. According to Mildred Parten, Maverick is engaged in play.

The answer is onlooker play.

Explanation:

Onlooker play is a stage in Parten's classification of play in which a child observes other children playing, but does not participate in the activity. It is also possible for the child to engage in social interaction, such as talking or laughing together, but their games are entirely different and are carried out separately.  

they encountered severe weather for which they were poorly prepared.