November 10th, 2021
David Peachment
How to Make Minecraft Educational
Ah, Minecraft. One of the most popular games (if not the absolute number one game) in the world. Kids all over the globe log countless hours into this game. They’ll play it before school, after school, and on the weekends with their friends! It truly has become a phenomenon that has taken people by storm. From annual “Minecon” conventions to paraphernalia, you can see Minecraft’s far reach in everyday life. But can it actually be used for something other than simple fun? The short answer is that it has some pretty robust features that can truly develop a young mind for the future! Let’s dive into a few benefits that kids can get from Minecraft!
Creativity and Design
Creativity and design are the first few benefits I want to touch on that can be gained from spending time with the game. Upon entering the world, players are greeted with an endless playground from which to build and create. When not playing with other people and experiencing player-created worlds, kids can make their own environment in the game. They can select from countless objects to build with, such as materials like wood, metal, grass, and other things like fire, animals, and tools. All of this together means there are zero limits to what can be created. By providing the tools in this virtual sandbox, kids can express their creative side by developing towns, mountains, other worlds, and anything else that can be thought of! Not only that, but they can learn the fundamentals of design. How to create a functional castle, a working animal ecosystem, or a properly flowing waterway system (as water works just like in real life with flooding and such.) And that’s just the tip of the iceberg because Minecraft has a whole education edition dedicated towards learning!
Minecraft Education
A number of years ago, Minecraft decided to release a special edition available to everyone that is focused purely on education. They created lesson plans, courses, and classes dedicated to various subjects. This is where the true power of Minecraft can shine through. Kids can play their favourite video game, all the while learning important school topics and subjects. Want your child to know some history? Boot up an exploration of Ancient Rome and show them all of the sights and sounds. Do they need help in math? Open an application that involves them chaotically multiplying sheep and pigs! Are they filled with a desire to program their own game? Learn the fundamentals of coding and game design using Minecraft’s resources. It’s all there and so much more! This is the true power of Minecraft: the platform they’ve developed for learning and teaching all kinds of different subjects. And with over 500 lessons and interactive worlds, it’s never been a better time to get your kid started and learning! Best of all, if you aren’t sure if you want to pay for it just yet, it even has a free trial to test it out.
Need Help?
Have you downloaded the Minecraft Education Edition and are wondering how to really get your kid started and help them if they have any issues or questions? Well look no further than Coded Minds. We offer special 1-on-1 learning sessions in-person or online tailored to your child’s needs and aiding them in learning through Minecraft! They will learn coding, game design, troubleshooting, design, and more! Click HERE to learn more about it and to check out other subjects that we also teach!
While some might simply call it a video game, I hope after this blog post you might come to realize that it has much more capabilities than that! It can be a powerful educational tool to develop and ignite a child’s curiosity and creativity! From designing their own structures and exploring academic concepts to the more technical aspects of it like game logic and coding, Minecraft is truly useful for much more than just simple fun!
Until next time,
David Peachment