Examining the Features of Parks That Children Visit During Three Stages of Childhood

Abstract

Parks provide an opportunity for children to be physically active, but are rarely fully utilised. A better understanding of which park features attract children of varying ages is needed. This study examined which features are present at parks that children visit most often at different stages throughout childhood. Parents reported the park their child visited most often at three timepoints: T1 = 3–5 years, T2 = 6–8 years, and T3 = 9–11 years. These parks were then audited (using a purposely created audit tool) to capture information relating to access, activity areas and quality. Online mapping tools were also used to determine walking distance to parks and park size. Parks visited at T2 were further from home, larger, and had more road crossings, full courts, other facilities and comfort amenities such as toilets and lights than T1 parks. Parks visited at T3 were larger and had more sports ovals compared to T1 parks, and were significantly less likely to have barbeque facilities than T2 parks. Our findings suggest that as children transition from pre-school (T1), to primary school age (T2 and T3), they visit parks that have more facilities to support sport and active recreation.

Are park availability and satisfaction with neighbourhood parks associated with physical activity and time spent outdoors?

“…Given that park satisfaction may be related to park quality in terms of amenities, maintenance and aesthetics [ 24 ] this finding is contrary to those from previous studies among adults and adolescents that suggest quality of parks is more important than quantity or availability for encouraging park use [ 27 , 30 , 43 ]. Inconsistencies amongst children’s park satisfaction may also be explained by subtle differences in park use and park feature requirement at different ages throughout childhood [ 26 ]. Future studies are required to better understand the qualities and features of parks that contribute to overall park satisfaction for different user groups.…”

“…We know that people do not always visit their closest park and often travel significant distances from home to reach their preferred park [ 25 , 26 ]. This may be due to (dis) satisfaction with the features or quality (i.e.…”

Determining Factors in the Use of Urban Parks That Influence the Practice of Physical Activity in Children: A Systematic Review

“…According to the opinion of family members and caregivers of children from 0 to 6 years old, to encourage greater use of these spaces, playgrounds should offer opportunities for outdoor activities with green areas and forests [ 60 , 65 , 83 ], and be close to their residence or where their friends or relatives live (60,65,81], as this will allow them to interact with other children or with their parents. Parks should allow the performance of various activities and games that motivate children [ 60 , 69 ], with safety and cleanliness being another factor that encourages visits [ 65 , 83 ]. However, family members and caregivers aged 7 to 12 choose large parks (even if they are not located near their residential area) [ 60 ] and, with sports facilities and other amenities such as bathrooms, seats, fountains with drinking water, barbecues and gardens [ 49 , 57 , 78 ].…”

“…Parks should allow the performance of various activities and games that motivate children [ 60 , 69 ], with safety and cleanliness being another factor that encourages visits [ 65 , 83 ]. However, family members and caregivers aged 7 to 12 choose large parks (even if they are not located near their residential area) [ 60 ] and, with sports facilities and other amenities such as bathrooms, seats, fountains with drinking water, barbecues and gardens [ 49 , 57 , 78 ]. In addition, they must have areas that allow different age groups to exercise (multigenerational parks) [ 64 ], have different play areas [ 78 ], that are accessible [ 51 , 64 , 78 ], of high quality [ 83 ] and restrictions on dogs, vandalism, litter and fencing.…”

Exploring Children’s Views on Important Park Features: A Qualitative Study Using Walk-Along Interviews

“…Observational and activity tracking studies show that children engage in a variety of activities at parks such as playing and exploring [ 24 ], and these activities and park needs vary even throughout childhood. For example, a recent study exploring differences in features present in parks visited by children of different ages (3–5, 6–8, 9–11 years), found that older children (9–11 years) were more likely to visit larger parks that had more facilities and were further away from home compared with younger children [ 25 ]. It is therefore critical to ensure that evidence-based park design considers all demographic groups.…”