There has been an increase in the use of the emergency department (ED) for non‐urgent presentations. The aim of this systematic review was to identify the proportion, criteria and predictors of non‐urgent ED presentations in paediatric populations. A search of multiple databases was conducted for articles published from inception of the databases to 20 August 2018, which reported the proportion, criteria and predictors of non‐urgent ED presentation in paediatric populations. Thirty‐one articles met the inclusion criteria. The mean proportion of non‐urgent paediatric ED presentations was 41.06 ± 15.16%. There appears to be a weak association between predisposing, enabling and needs factors and non‐urgent ED use in paediatric populations. The findings of this review suggest that non‐urgent ED use in paediatric populations is high. However, non‐urgent ED use and the reasons for the visits in paediatric populations remain understudied.