Minecraft is full of benefits outside of the enjoyment it brings kids. From educational benefits to social benefits, these are 8 benefits of Minecraft.
Minecraft, by video game producer Mojang, is the best-selling video game of all time. Yep. All. Time. Launched in North America in late 2011, Minecraft has now sold more than 200 million copies and is in nearly every country in the world.
I think it’s safe to say that Minecraft, an open world video game where players can build, craft, dig, mine and more, is going to be around for a while. Minecraft is often described as a “sandbox game” because players can create their own virtual world with seemingly endless possibilities. No wonder kids, mine included, go gaga for this game. In a virtual world with endless possibilities, it’s tough get bored! The settle into their Minecraft server and they are busy for hours on end.
Protect Your Child on Minecraft
We hear it all the time- don’t let kids have too much screen time! It’s bad for their eyes! It’s bad for their bodies! But what about the benefits of screen time and video games? The future, after all, is digital. While it’s important for kids to strike a balance between physical activity and video games, there are lots of benefits to the latter than often get overlooked.
Here are eight benefits to kids playing Minecraft.
- Minecraft helps kids hone their problem-solving abilities. In order to be successful in Minecraft, you have to learn to complete a number of tasks. You have to build a place to live, gather food and craft tools to successfully create their world. To truly “win” at this game, a player must think on his feet and adapt, important lessons in the virtual world and real life.
- Kids can improve their math skills with Minecraft. In Minecraft’s virtual reality, kids can cultivate complex shapes, learn about and solve geometric problems, manipulate blocks and more. These geometry problems will improve their math in no time!
- Minecraft encourages teamwork. On screen, like in life, sometimes the only way to solve a problem or tackle an obstacle is with help from friends. Calling in help isn’t without its own challenges- learning to work together when you have different ideas and different goals can be challenging. But learning to work with others and compromise to reach a common goal is one of the most important lessons you can ever learn.
- Kids can learn to code in Minecraft. There are so many benefits to teaching kids to code… Think about how many coding schools and programs are popping up all over the country! Teaching kids to code when they are young will give them an immeasurable boost, in college and beyond! Kids can practice their coding skills within Minecraft by editing the original Minecraft code as mods to manipulate the game in whatever way they desire. Cool!
- Minecraft helps kids learn how to manage resources. When you want to build something in Minecraft, you have to strategize how to do it. Kids will have to figure out which tools they will need to build the dwellings they want, and then they will have to figure out how to pay for and acquire those tools. Learning to manage money and resources when they are young will be hugely beneficial to kids later in life!
- Kids have the ability to be endlessly creative in Minecraft. Because this game is an open world, there are virtually no rules and script to follow. Kids can create their own paths, build their own dwellings and design whatever they want. The sky is the limit, encouraging kids to think outside the box and create something that maybe hasn’t ever been made before!
- Minecraft teaches kids to focus on something to achieve a goal. If your child wants to build a big, fancy home in Minecraft, it will take time to build. Your child will have to focus on creating the dream home and then put in the time required to successfully create his dream home. Teaching kids to keep working at something until they complete it is a great way to help them learn to focus on their goals.
- Kids gain confidence when playing Minecraft. In the virtual world, kids make decisions about what they are going to do by and for themselves. They don’t consult with Mom and Dad and don’t always ask for help from friends. They make decisions based on what they know and what they learn, and then they succeed or fail- and consequently learn- from these decisions. Each successful choice helps kids gain the confidence they need to succeed in other areas of life, too!
Related Article: What Parents need to know about Minecraft
One of the best things about Minecraft, including all the great skills your kids can gain from playing it, is that it’s safe for kids of all ages. You, as a parent, can turn on “peaceful” mode, which means the content you child views is very age-appropriate. How awesome is that?
