Socialising in parks: a systematic scoping review to understand how children use parks for social engagement

Parks are often considered a critical environment for children to meet their developmental needs. As community green spaces, such as those designed primarily for active and passive recreation, parks can provide opportunities for children to become involved in different activities that include socialising with others. The aim of this systematic review is, therefore, to better understand how parks can afford opportunities for children to interact with others and participate in Social Activities (SAs) by synthesising the existing research on children’s social engagement within parks. For this systematic review, the authors searched the Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar for articles published between 2000–2024 (inclusive). Studies that reported original research findings about children’s social engagement within the context of parks, green spaces, and public open spaces were identified using the main keywords. Based on the 51 included articles, this review found that children’s social engagement in parks is linked to environmental settings, including playgrounds and natural areas, and SAs include interactions with siblings and friends, or engaging in imaginative and creative activities.