You have likely come across Minecraft several times. It’s everywhere, and you see kids playing it. This massively popular video game was first released in 2011 by Mojang Studios. The game works with a simple logic: use blocks to turn them into any object you can imagine. Since then, it has enjoyed unwavering popularity among children.
Your child plays Minecraft because of the game’s unlimited opportunities for creativity. There is so much more to the gameplay experience than just defeating the dragon at the end of the story. Kids can choose between Creative Mode or Survival Mode when playing Minecraft. They can create anything and everything within the game’s world, ranging from simple structures and cities to rollercoasters.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- How Minecraft benefits your children
- The risks associated with playing Minecraft
- The Minecraft age rating and safety measures
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Benefits of Minecraft for Kids
Minecraft is not just any other kind of online game that kids play. It gives your child these benefits that will help in their development:
1. Encourage Creativity and Problem-Solving Skills
Minecraft gives room for kids to decide on their activities within the game. They can fight monsters, trade stuff with villagers, or create structures according to their preferences. It has no end goal like other online games, so your child can do what they want.
Just like any other video game, Minecraft presents challenges to its players. One example is in the game’s Survival Mode, where the player has to recover from the damage to their health bar due to attacks and falls.
As the game goes in Minecraft realms, regardless of its mode, your child will learn how to think and plan their tactics to accomplish each challenge. Playing Minecraft is a trial-and-error process that teaches children to organize their resources inside the game.
2. Educational Value
Minecraft can teach your kid several things like:
- Mathematics. When your kid builds a structure in a plot of land within the game, they must figure out the area, perimeter, and any other measurements to make construction feasible.
- History. The simulated version of famous historical structures offers a peek into the history of humans from way, way back. Minecraft incorporates cultural lessons through its simulated structures, which give kids an insight into the architectural styles of the time. It may spark an interest in children who have an affinity for history.
- Science. As your kid goes deeper into the Minecraft world, there will be tidbits of lessons regarding chemical reactions and proteins. Your kid might encounter some of these lessons years from now.
- Geography. The game lets kids create maps of real-world locations. This helps them understand scale and distance better. It develops their map-reading skills as well.
- Coding skills. Minecraft is based on block-based coding and JavaScript. It teaches kids to code using a 1×1 block structure to create a simulated world. If your child decides to pursue coding in the future, they’ll have a starting point by playing Minecraft.
- Cognitive skills. Minecraft teaches kids how to think and figure things out for every round of the game. Cognitive thinking is important for kids as they grow older and face more challenges.
3. Social Interaction and Teamwork
Minecraft is a multiplayer game that allows more players to join a single round in Multiplayer Mode. There’s a sense of online community when kids play Minecraft with other children. It fosters communication and collaboration within the team. At the end of the game, Minecraft players talk and relate to each other about the experiences they have shared while playing.
Risks and Concerns Associated with Minecraft
Is Minecraft safe for kids?
Minecraft is not an exception to the risks that online games pose to your children. Here are some of them:
1. Exposure to Inappropriate Content and Language
As much as multiplayer modes develop teamwork among players, the risk of exposure to inappropriate language and content still remains high.
Some players may type bad words out of frustration with the game. Some may show disturbing content that your child may see. And it doesn’t end there. Your child might use these profanities and do dangerous things that will bring you more problems.
Activate the parental controls and settings of the game to avoid inappropriate content. Toggle the settings that will restrict your child from communicating with other players in-game to avoid profanities.
2. Addiction and Excessive Screen Time
Just like most popular video games, Minecraft can be addicting if played excessively. Watch out for these signs of video game addiction in children:
- Always talking about video games every single day
- Lack of sleep due to long hours of playing
- Isolation from other people
- Loss of interest in any activities outside of gaming
- Gradual loss of appetite to prioritise gaming over food intake
- Total negligence of hygiene
- Lying about not playing the game despite imposing rules
- Spending too much money on in-game purchases using Minecoins
You can limit your child’s screen time on Nintendo Switch or any other device. Create a set of rules that your child needs to follow. Allot a few hours for game time and explain the consequences of not following the rules to your child. Engage your child in activities that don’t involve any screen time, such as drawing and sports.
3. Cyberbullying and Online Safety
Being bullied online is a common problem in online multiplayer games like Minecraft. Other players can be harsh on their fellow players, either playing on insecurities or criticising in-game skills. This could affect the child’s mental health and well-being outside the game.
Talk to your children about any instance of cyberbullying. Report these incidents to the moderators to minimise and hopefully prevent any other cyberbullying incidents in the future.
Parental Guidance and Safety Measures
You can still do something to curb all the risks and concerns connected to Minecraft. Keep your children safe by:
1. Setting Up Parental Controls
The multiplayer servers in Minecraft allow you to filter and block sensitive content to make the game a safe environment for your child. Check your child’s online interactions so you can intervene right away when something goes wrong.
You can choose the right game modes for your child to play or limit playtime altogether to lead them away from harmful content. When it comes to modes, the Creative Mode contains no violence.
Take advantage of the blocking features to keep children from talking to suspicious individuals. These people hiding behind the screen may have bad intentions for your kid.
2. Encouraging Healthy Gaming Habits
Video gaming doesn’t have to be toxic. You can make it healthy for you and your kid in one way or another.
Monitor your child’s playing and help them strategise their next move. Get them through the round and navigate the game’s world. Of course, let your kid decide what to do next. Just suggest what they can do with their game situation.
3. Educating Kids About Online Safety
Younger kids have to be educated about being safe, maintaining respectful behavior, and valuing privacy online at their age to keep their sense of self and dignity.
You have to also educate them on dealing with cyberbullying. Teach them to stand up for themselves and to not be affected when people say something negative about them.
Online safety is an important part of a child’s video gaming experience. If they can keep themselves safe while playing video games, they can make good memories associated with the game itself.
Age Appropriateness and Recommendations
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rates Minecraft at E10+, which means everyone from 10 years old and above can play. In the Creative Mode, where a single player can play, violence is a far-fetched notion. The player only exists in the game to create something.
The good thing with Minecraft is it restricts access for players below 10. Some of the restricted features based on age include game purchases and chatting in scrolls.
As a parent, you can introduce your child to Minecraft when they’re about 10 years of age. Children of this age have a clear understanding of mobile games. They can grasp the basic rules and principles of Minecraft.
Make it a learning experience for both you and your child by:
- Encouraging them to be creative. Minecraft can be a canvas for your child’s imagination to run wild. They can create things they visualise through blocks, and it’s your job to push their creative boundaries.
- Allow your child to play with family members and friends. Letting your child play with other people develops his teamwork and communication skills. They can work with others to accomplish a common goal.
- Let your kid solve the in-game problems. Your child wouldn’t learn if you think for them. Give them the space they need to come up with their own solutions.
Final Thoughts
Minecraft comes with its own perks and sweats. It teaches children to think about their next move and plan their resources logically. Multiple players can play in one round to foster community and belongingness in the virtual world. But when unregulated, the game can harm a child’s well-being when they’re incessantly bullied in the game and see sensitive content.
The game can be good for kids if you’re there beside them. Help them choose what mode to play, come up with solutions, and see how they interact with other players. Or better yet, hone their coding skills while enjoying games by enroling them in Software Academy. We can guide them on the right career path through online coding classes.