By UTMB’s Dr. Sally Robinson: Playing with others is important to a child’s development. Life skills are learned when children play that can help them to make and keep friends. As a parent, you can encourage your child to take part in healthy playtime by taking your child to a park to play with other children or by joining an organized play group. Aggressive behavior between children is normal, but as a parent and supervisor there are a number of steps you can take to keep aggressive behavior to a minimum.