Netflix Targets Kids With New Games App
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Netflix launches Playground, a kids games app with no ads, offline play, and parental controls.
- Features games based on Peppa Pig, Sesame Street, and Dr. Seuss.
- Part of Netflix’s continued push into gaming, including future cloud-based titles.
It’s fair to say that Netflix’s move into video games has been less than smooth, given its lack of focus and losing several studios, but that hasn’t stopped it from branching out into TV show tie-ins and, now, an app focused on kids. While some child-friendly games already exist under the Netflix Games umbrella, the new Netflix Playground app is targeted at those aged 8 and under.
Playground, as a service, is included in an existing Netflix subscription (just like the main Games section); it’s possible to download the app from the App Store and Google Play, but users will need to sign in to Netflix to fully access it.
“We’re building a world where kids can not only watch their favorite stories, they can step inside them and interact with their favorite characters,” said John Derderian, Netflix Vice President of Animation Series + Kids & Family TV.
“We’re creating a seamless destination for discovery, learning, and play. Whether it’s reuniting with Hank and the Trash Truck crew for new adventures or making a smoothie with Peppa Pig, watching and playing on Netflix can be the fun and easiest part of every family’s day.”
Jump to:
Get ‘em Young
There has, and always will be, a lot of discussion about whether or not young children should be able to play video games: while the general consensus among experts is that limited use is fine, it is, of course, always up to parents to decide.
To its credit, Netflix understands this, and the possible dangers inherent in gaming apps, by making sure Playground has no ads, in-app purchases or extra fees. It also works offline, so there are no concerns about online safety or using up excess data.
Playground also includes multiple PIN-locked parental controls, that allow for things such as setting individual kids profiles with age-appropriate content, customizable maturity settings, the ability to block and filter out specific content, and viewing history and activity tools so parents can keep an eye on what their kids are actually doing on the app.
You Know: For Kids!
The content itself is also focused on younger children as it contains a mix of simple arcade-style games and edutainment titles. At launch, kids can play a bunch of Dr. Seuss games, like Red Fish, Blue Fish (a music game), Horton! (which teaches cause and effect through minigames), and The Sneetches (vehicle building and shape recognition).
Netflix’s popular mainstay Peppa Pig gets her own Netflix-exclusive title, Playtime With Peppa Pig, that lets kids make smoothies, go shopping, or even drive a bus. Sesame Street and StoryBots also get their own apps filled with creative activities like jigsaws and interactive stickers.
But the prize for ‘Clearly Aimed at Kids’ goes to the Bad Dinosaurs title, which Netflix has said lets players “Pick a tiny tyrannosaurus to run on a race track, or jam out with a turntable, keyboard and sound effects to make a fart-filled new song.”
The Future of Netflix Games
Officially launched in 2021, Netflix Games has had a bumpy ride so far. During the Netflix Q4 2025 Earnings Interview in January 2026, Netflix Co-CEO Greg Peters said that the plan for this year is to shift focus to cloud-based games.
“A big advancement and priority for us is our cloud-based TV games. It’s an exciting launch for us. We’re still in the early stages of this rollout. Roughly a third of our members have access to TV-based games as a process of upgrading the TV technology and TV clients to be able to handle that.”
Peters’ remarks touch on a major shift in the industry, especially regarding competitors. Amazon ended last year with a relaunch of its Luna service which includes cloud-streaming party games, while NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW is still trying to gain a foothold in the sector by offering new titles like Samson and, later this year, CONTROL Resonant.
Netflix itself ended 2025 by branching out into Netflix Party Games, which allow people to get together and play titles like LEGO Party!, Party Crashers: Fool Your Friends, and Pictionary: Game Night through a TV using a cellphone as a controller.
As for Playground, it’s available now in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines, with a full global rollout due on April 28.
