Nature-based play therapy: A protocol for a scoping review v2

Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to describe the scope of evidence on nature-based play therapy interventions. This review aims to examine the populations included, study designs, implementation characteristics, and reported outcomes of play therapy interventions delivered in outdoor or natural environments. Introduction: Nature-based play therapy integrates play therapy approaches with outdoor or natural environments, such as parks, forests, and green spaces, to support children’s emotional, cognitive, and social development. Concerns regarding child and youth mental health have increased in recent decades, alongside changes in children’s daily activities, including increased screen time and reduced outdoor play. Evidence suggests that both play therapy and exposure to natural environments are associated with positive psychological outcomes; however, studies combining these approaches remain limited and heterogeneous. The existing literature varies in terminology, intervention design, settings, and outcomes, and has not yet been comprehensively synthesized. Inclusion criteria: This review will use the Population, Concept, and Context (PCC) framework. The population will include children and adolescents aged 0 to 21 years, with studies involving other age groups considered where relevant to support discussion. The concept will include play therapy and child-centered play therapy interventions implemented in outdoor or natural settings, including nature-based play therapy and related approaches. The context will be broad, including interventions conducted in schools, clinics, or other settings, with no restrictions on country or setting. Methods: This scoping review will follow the framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley, with enhancements by Levac et al., and will be conducted in accordance with JBI guidance and PRISMA-ScR reporting standards. Searches will be conducted in APA PsycInfo, CINAHL, and ERIC (on EBSCOhost); MEDLINE (on Ovid); Global Index Medicus; SciELO (on Web of Science); and OpenAlex, using predefined keywords limited to titles and abstracts. Peer-reviewed studies published in English, Portuguese, and Spanish will be included, encompassing qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods designs. All eligible studies will be imported into Covidence and screened by two independent reviewers. Data will be extracted to summarize study characteristics, intervention features, and reported outcomes. Results will be synthesized using descriptive numerical analysis and narrative mapping to identify key patterns and gaps in the literature.