This is the 777th most frequent Russian word.
возле
Near; close to.
Here, 'возле' is used to indicate the spatial proximity of the chair to the window.
Я поставил стул возле окна.
I placed the chair near the window.
In this sentence, 'возле' denotes the location of the children's play area relative to the river.
Дети играли возле реки.
The children were playing near the river.
The term 'возле' here points out the spatial relationship between her stopping point and the shop.