Using the System for Observation of Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC), 36 observations were conducted in three parks in Shenzhen, China, to count the physical activity levels of 12297 visitors in 78 target sports grounds. The gender and age differences in the physically active populations were analyzed in formal and informal sports grounds. The results indicate that the physical activity levels of children and adolescents were significantly higher than those of middle-aged and elderly individuals, and males exhibited significantly higher physical activity levels than females. Among formal sports grounds, the physical activity levels on soccer fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, and ping-pong tables were significantly higher than those on other sports grounds. In informal sports grounds, the physical activity levels of children’s non-apparatus activity spaces were the lowest. Some informal sports areas supported a greater variety of physical activities, such as dancing, badminton, soccer, and kite-flying, on park squares and open grassy areas. The research findings can provide environmental strategies for constructing urban parks that are conducive to enhancing physical activity levels.

system for observing play and recreation in communities (SOPARC), physical activity level, urban parks, formal and informal sports grounds, Shenzhen city