Minecraft is a game beloved by many players worldwide. Visually the game looks like a computerized Lego. Practically every child’s wet dream. But do not let that simple look fool you. Underneath its kiddy appearance hides an extraordinarily complex game with incredibly in-depth mechanics that require some degree of learning and understanding. So, Is Minecraft good for kids? Short answer, yes! Very! Let’s dig in!
is Minecraft good for your brain?
In 2019, the neurobiologist Gregory Clemenson published a study about the effects that video games have on hippocampal memory function. To properly conduct his research, Clemenson needed a video game that will reflect the real world by offering limitless complexity of everyday life. Unsurprisingly, Minecraft fit the bill.
Much like real life, Minecraft does not have clear rules, no winners, no losers, and no right or wrong. Whatever the players do becomes the game. It is endless and bad choices, such as falling to lava (duh…) can be life-limiting.
The candidates Clemenson chose for his experimentation were tasked with playing the game for 45 minutes each day for two weeks. His team recorded an improvement in hippocampus-associated memory in candidates who spent the most time exploring and building complex structures. What’s fascinating about this find is that the degree of improvement was tied to the level of complexity of the build structures as well as the amount of exploration.
Their research also suggested that games in virtual environments can be used to maintain and develop spatial awareness and memory. The richer the virtual world the greater the benefits.
Of course, this does not mean that we should all play video games nonstop, but the benefits of Minecraft as a cognitive development tool are undeniable.
The same experiment was later repeated on older adults between the age of 50. Clemenson managed to replicate the same results from the previous experiment.
So, is Minecraft good for adults? – definitely
That is alright but is Minecraft okay for kids?
So, to return to our original question Is Minecraft good for kids? Bearing all the above in mind, the overwhelming conclusion is that Minecraft is not only good for your kids, but it is also downright advisable that you let them play it
Let us start with the obvious:
Minecraft teaches valuable life skills
As we said earlier, the game has neither right nor wrong choices. No, predetermined set of rules, you are pretty much free to do whatever you want in an endless simulated environment. There are only bad choices that might lead to your character’s death.
While playing, kids will encounter various instances where problems solving skills are required. If the challenge is too big for them, they will have to collaborate with other players to overcome them.
This only intensifies when playing on “survival mode”. Players are tossed into a very hostile environment where they must adapt quickly and improvise to survive. The game does not hold your hand and players need to learn quickly how to build structures, weapons, and find food to stay alive. Problems solving and inventory management are required here big time.
In short:
- Collaboration
- Self-direction
- Problem-solving
- Inventory management
Imagination and creativity
Putting all the life skills aside, Minecraft allows for an endless degree of creativity thanks to its Legoish mechanics. If you can envision it, you can build it. Do not believe us? Check out this video of a working CPU built inside Minecraft. Yes, you read that right… A YouTuber named legomasta99, after two years of hard labor, support from computer scientists and engineers, and apparently a lot of free time on his hands, managed to construct a working CPU inside the game!
The CPU can perform various mathematical calculations like the CPUs we all use in our home computers. This is just one example. YouTube is full of amazing and breathtaking projects that were built by Minecraft players over the years. Whatever you can think of it was probably already built in Minecraft. And chances are by someone much younger than you.
Self-Direction
The game does not have a clear goal. Players must decide for themselves what they want to achieve and go after it. This encourages independence and less reliability on a system to direct you.
Math
Yes, Minecraft also teaches calculus and math. Surprised? The game requires a lot of calculations in advance if you want to be successful. For example, the size which will be required for a certain fortification to be built, the amount of supplies needed to survive a boss fight and the list goes on. The harder the task, the more estimation, and calculation will be required.
Career skills
Want to ensure that they will have a stable job in the future? No worries, encourage them to host, set up, and maintain a server. This is not an easy feat. Servers require a lot of technological understanding for hosting, understanding how hardware works if something physically breaks down or requires tweaking, keeping everything up to date and compatible with the latest Minecraft version and if there are other players on the server provide support. Not to mention that server owners can promote their servers on social media and other channels. A.k.A Marketing.
Meeting people from around the world
Minecraft is a multiplayer game. As such, your kids likely meet people from around the world and gain some valuable perspective about different people, cultures, and the world in general.
Learning languages
Another benefit of Minecraft is learning to read, speak, and write in English. This is extremely beneficial especially for those who do not live-in English-speaking countries. Becoming familiar with English at a young age will put your kid at an advantage compared to those who speak it poorly or do not know English at all.
They can also learn a lot of other languages in the process or understand various nuances which will help them learn those languages in the future.
Learn history
As we said earlier, Minecraft is full of amazing structures that were built by players over the years. If your kid is playing online, he is likely to stumble upon a historic landmark or a building which will make him do some research and find out what is it that he or she has discovered. In the end, your kids are more than likely to become historians, or at the very least get Straight A’s in history.
Other benefits of Minecraft
Playing with your kids
Here is something that very few parents thought about doing. Parents are often concerned when their kids are playing video games. Usually, a lot of their fears stem from a lack of understanding and false misconceptions regarding video games in general. What a lot of parents are not considering is trying to play video games with their kids.
Minecraft can become a great bonding tool for you and your child. You can band together, build, explore go on adventures while also monitoring them for safety. If you do not want your kid exposed to a potential “Toxic environment” you can make a private server and extend an invitation to people you know like family members and friends.
Minecraft is Lego for adults
Minecraft can be your excuse to play Lego again. Do we need to say more?
In conclusion, is Minecraft ok for kids?
So, in conclusion, is Minecraft good for kids? We say yes! An overwhelming yes! As a parent, you should look at Minecraft as a valuable educational tool. The game can teach your kids a lot of much-needed skills and it can also become a bonding tool for you to spend some quality time as a family and share some awesome memories, especially if you are quarantined at home and have nowhere to go.
So, go ahead and get your kids that copy of Minecraft. Hell, get one for yourself as well while you are at it, and play with them!
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