The Ultimate Guide to Using Minecraft in Your Homeschool
Hey, just so you know ... This post includes affiliate links. That means if you use them to make a purchase, I may earn a commission. You can read my full affiliate disclosure HERE.
Have you ever thought about using Minecraft in your homeschool? Most parents don't see games as a reliable way to homeschool their children, but it's quite beneficial. Below, I'm going to share the ins and outs of Minecraft and how to use it to teach your kids valuable concepts.
What is Minecraft?
Minecraft is known as a ‘sandbox game.' In other words, it is a 3-D virtual world where users can create their own worlds and experiences. They do this by using building blocks, resources found within the site, and their own creativity. They'll quickly learn how to build, mine, battle mobs, and explore the uniquely changing Minecraft landscape. It can be played on a variety of platforms, such as a computer, smartphone, tablet, Xbox, Nintendo Wii, and Playstation.
Here's my number one suggestion for a server dedicated to serving homeschooling families that want to incorporate Minecraft.
Why is it so popular?
Primarily popular amongst primary-aged children, Minecraft is seen as a game with no rules. Upon downloading, you'll notice that it doesn't have a traditional “user manual” that tells you concrete instructions or stated objectives. Instead, users can begin playing, exploring, and building however they want.
This brings a lot of flexibility to the table, giving children of any age and stage the opportunity to play according to their own unique creativity. Not only can it be played at any level, but it can also be played alone or with friends. In Minecraft, users can create their own adventures, no matter their level of play.
Benefits of Using Minecraft in Your Homeschool
It encourages creativity.
You've probably already picked up on the piece from reading about it above, but it's true. Minecraft inspires kids to be as creative as they want to be. Since the game involves building and creating, how your kids choose to build their worlds is virtually endless. From homes and families to animals and communities – your kids can build anything they imagine!
Minecraft helps with character development.
There are three primary aspects of character development that Minecraft can help with: patience, persistence, and determination. As your kids work through building their cities and other things, they'll need a certain level of patience. In addition, persistence and determination kick in when they want to give up.
Minecraft exposes kids to several subjects and skills simultaneously.
From math and geography to small motor and critical thinking skills, Minecraft awards kids with the opportunity to work on different subjects at once. I'll have an entire post dedicated to Minecraft activities coming out soon, but for now here are a few examples of how different subjects can be shown:
- Divide animals into equal groups (math).
- Building circuits and machines with redstone (science).
- Recreate a famous landmark (history and social studies).
- Reading words of items found in inventory (language arts).
These are just a few examples, but certainly evidence that children are learning while having fun.
Practical Ways for Using Minecraft in Your Homeschool
Minecraft can be used for spelling, grammar, and reading practice.
Do you have a child that struggles in these areas? Instead of going the traditional route of providing a spelling list, copywork, and/or spelling tests, try to using their Minecraft world. One mom I know gives her son a list of words to use for the signs he creates in Minecraft. Another one challenges her son to write a short story about something he created in his world. Here is a fun printable for your kids to write a Video Game Review report. You can also use words already present in the game as starting points for creating lists, copywork, and or sentences.
Kids can create history projects and book reports.
If you want to take history to a new and exciting level, it can be done with Minecraft. Although lapbooks and interactive notebooks make for some great project keepers, your student can build a complete history project using Minecraft. Simply choose a specific day, time, and/or era in history and have them recreate it in their Minecraft world. Similar to the example mentioned above, they can also “write” their book report using Minecraft.
Practice important math concepts.
As kids move into higher grades, some of the concepts can be a little trickier to get. For example, perimeters, multiplication, and complex addition can seem difficult. Thanks to the different building strategies in Minecraft, your kids can get practice in these areas without much thought. While they're thinking about how big (or small) to build a gate, they are subconsciously critically thinking from a perimeter perspective.
While they decide on how many of each animal type to build and put into their farm, they're thinking in terms of numbers, groups, and sorting. Minecraft also helps to put math into real life application for kids. It helps them to see math a something much more than just textbook, paper, and pencil.
Use the biomes naturally built into the game.
Users have access to several different types of biomes – Plains, Desert, Forrest, and the Savannah – just to name a few. You may be surprised by how much they'll learn by experimenting with these different types of environments. Each of these biomes have their own set of climates, plants, animals, and features that kids can learn about as they play. Challenge your kid to tell you one interesting fact or build a community in a certain place.
Final Thoughts
There is so much you can do by using Minecraft in your homeschools. Be on the lookout for my extended post about specific activities to try, but in the meantime, download Minecraft on your device of choice and let your kids explore. Don't forget to set playtime boundaries because, trust me, it can get pretty addicting fairly quickly. All in all, keep in mind that your kids are learning when you use Minecraft in your homeschool!
If you'd like a printable planner to use to map out your Minecraft unit study, head on over to Blessed Homeschool and grab this one for FREE!
You’ll get a list of Minecraft-related topic ideas, planning pages, note taking templates, and more to help you easily create a Minecraft unit study your kids will love.
Need some help managing your family's screen time?
Download a set of tech time guidelines and tailor it to your family's needs.
Sign up to receive Techie Homeschool Mom's Family Tech Time Guidelines
Related Posts
- Teaching Computer Science in Your Homeschool Made Easy
- How to Use Technology in Your Elementary Homeschool Lessons
- An Online Solution for Your Child Struggling with Math
Want some techie homeschooling tips and inspiration delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for weekly-ish emails from me.
Techie Homeschool Mom is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. You can read my full affiliate disclosure HERE.
About the Author
