Getting patients to move in a hospital setting isn’t always easy.
Between limited space, medical equipment, mobility considerations, and long stretches of downtime, it can be a real challenge. But movement is exactly what many patients need.
This is why Nex Playground has proven beneficial for hospital teams. Our active play system brings movement and life to hospital rooms and PT sessions. It can even motivate your patients to take a move down the hall to a playroom.
Whether you're a Child Life specialist, a nurse, or part of a rehab team, this guide walks you through what Nex Playground is, how it works in hospitals, and what’s helped other teams get started.
Nex Playground is an active play system and gaming device. What makes it so special is that it uses your body as the controller. Combining a wide-angle lens and on-device AI track movement makes magic happen. Your movements appear on the TV screen, allowing you to interact with characters, sports games, or music beats.
Nex Playground works well in hospitals thanks to its simplicity, in both setup and use. Setup is very easy! Place your Playground on a cart or table in front of your patient and under the TV. Plug the power cord into an outlet, and the HDMI cord into the TV. Starting to play takes only a few minutes after the first time setup.
The system comes with a 5-game starter pack. To unlock the full library (50+ games and ongoing updates), you’ll need a Play Pass subscription.
Most healthcare teams aren’t looking for more tech to manage. They are looking for something that actually works with the realities of a hospital.
• There’s almost no learning curve, and patients engage quickly
• Staff doesn’t need gaming experience to run it
• Patients and families understand it just by watching
• It turns movement into something fun, not forced
• Games are designed without addictive gaming loops, and self-regulation or moments to pause are built in
• Built with privacy and safety in mind - COPPA and KidSAFE+ certified
We've seen hospitals bring Nex Playground into patient rooms, playrooms, and rehab spaces for one simple reason: it gets patients engaged.
Movement-based play gives patients and families something to focus on beyond their care routine. It invites participation without pressure, and it's easy enough for almost anyone to join.
Nex Playground works with different mobility levels. Some games can be played:
And it’s flexible across roles. Child Life specialists, PT/OT teams, nurses, and family members can all facilitate play without special training.
This type of active play doesn't feel like work or therapy, and that's the goal.
You can purchase Nex Playground through major retailers, our online store, or Amazon Business (which can be helpful for nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations).
At this time, we’re not set up to support purchase orders or bulk ordering discounts.
We also offer a Playground for Good program, which provides donated systems to nonprofit hospitals. You can learn more about that here.
Purchasing Play Pass Subscriptions
We know subscriptions can be tricky in hospital systems. You have a few options:
A few important notes:
Setting up a Nex Playground can take 15 minutes to 2 hours, depending on your Wi-Fi and whether you’ve activated a Play Pass that will trigger all 50+ games to download. It’s a simple, guided process, but if you have questions, feel free to check out this in-depth setup guide.
Working Around Hospital Wi-Fi
This is usually the biggest logistical piece for the initial setup and for updates to games.
Nex Playground needs Wi-Fi for:
One important note: it won’t work on networks that require a browser login (like most guest Wi-Fi). What teams typically do:
You do not need Wifi once the games are downloaded except to run updates or renew your Play Pass subscription.
Start with the Right Games
We recommend spending time testing each game and determining which may be best for your unique patient. If you want recommendations, we have a dedicated Circle group for Nex Playground Healthcare professionals.
Use the "Hide Game" feature to simplify the menu before a session. Pre-selecting a handful of games reduces overwhelm (for you and the patient!) and gives you more control over the experience. Think of it as curating a playlist—you're setting the vibe before the patient even sees the screen.
Space Considerations
You don’t need a large dedicated space.
Before starting, take a quick look at:
These are only recommendations! Always follow your hospital’s supervision and fall-risk protocols.
Most in-game content is currently in English, but because the games are highly visual and movement-based, language usually isn’t a barrier. Encouraging staff to demonstrate gameplay physically, using gestures and modeling, works wonders across any language.
At Nex, we take privacy very seriously. We are KidSAFE+ and COPPA certified. Nex Playground does not store personal data on external servers. Some games may include player names, scores, or leaderboards, and a few feature image-based moments that mimic a photo being taken (though no photo is ever actually shared).
To keep things simple and private in a shared environment, use generic or non-identifiable names and reset the experience for each patient. You can also hide any games with image-based features if that better fits your setting.
Important note: Do not use harsh chemicals or Sani-Wipes on the camera
The console device and remote can be cleaned with standard disinfectant wipes, such as Sani-Wipes, just like most other equipment in your unit.
The best sessions don’t come from perfect setups—they come from how it’s introduced.
Some of the best sessions we've seen come from staff members who have never touched a gaming system before. What made it great wasn't their gaming skill…it was their willingness to play alongside the patient. Standing next to a patient and waving your arms at flying fruit together? That’s active play and connection.
Keep it low-pressure. Let the child lead. If they want to sit and watch first, that's fine. If they want to go full superhero mode on the first try, even better. The goal isn't perfection—it's participation, at whatever level feels right for them.
In a hospital, small moments of movement matter. They break up long days for patients, family, and staff. They give patients something to look forward to. They create a sense of normalcy in a place that often doesn’t feel normal.
Nex Playground isn’t complicated, and that’s the point. It’s a tool in your healthcare team’s toolbox to facilitate movement and joy.
Helpful Resources
Questions? Reach out at hello@nexplayground.com
FAQs
