Hello, faithful readership and lucky googlers. I don't know if it is everywhere but I know that here in Australia the game Minecraft has been getting a lot of mixed reviews lately. There has been tabloid TV articles proclaiming it as doing everything from helping children with autism to creating a monoculture of intellectually adept, social inept children who spend all their time creeping and building. If your kids aren't into Minecraft, read on, they may well be into it soon or at least their friends are already. If your kids are too young for Minecraft, read on, at some point they will ask the question. And if you are in the same boat as me where there are multiple builders in the family, read on... you may be interested in how we manage Minecraft and computer gaming in general.
First up, a snapshot of my family. We have 5 kids varying in ages between 11 and 2. They are all intelligent, curious, active kids who love to play imaginative games and joke around. They are awesome. A few years ago they saved up and pooled their money (the older 4 at least) and with our permission bought an x-box.
Now first things first, and I could get a little controversial here, but they are my kids and I get to decide how much, what and when they play computer games. Call me old fashioned but the idea of the kids dictating the terms upon which they play would be complete and utter chaos, especially with 5 of them! We have set times that they can play the x-box on the weekend and during school holidays and it is a fabulous "currency" for my boys especially, to have it taken away due to poor behaviour.
Anyway, Minecraft! Well, it entered our house two years ago now and I was very nervous about the whole thing. I had heard the reports of kids being addicted etc etc. So, when the packet got opened I sat down and became player number 4. I lasted just long enough to get the general gist of the game before I became horribly nauseous due to the spinning of the platform to view the "world" we were creating. But here is what I found out:
- Minecraft has no point per se. The idea is to build, you build a house, a village, a garden, mine for minerals, whatever you would like really. It is creative and fun.
- You can work together. We had a great time building our house and then furnishing it before heading to bed for the first (virtual) night. We all had to go to bed at the same time (bit like family life really!) to make the game continue.
- There are a number of modes. Creative mode is the mode my kids play most of the time. There are no baddies that can tear down your village or cause any grief. Survival mode leads you to certain obstacles or challenges that you need to overcome to continue. My 9 year old loves it but my 7 and 5 year olds find it scary.
After I nearly vomitted all over the carpet due to the motion induced waves of nausea I felt in my first attempt at being a Minecrafter, I have watched from a distance. And this is what I love about Minecraft:
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| My mini minecrafters in position on a Sunday morning |
- My kids love to play it together. They chat about their world, build things together, have shared Minecraft goals.... They even had a party in the house they built for me out of diamonds!
- It is open ended, unlike other games like "Skylanders" they can't get to the end. They can keep playing and playing for years with the same challenge. It is really quite good value for money!
- For my kids, they interact with each other much like they do in the imaginary games they play outside.
- They can learn the difference between the virtual world and the real world, much like they do their imaginary worlds and the real world, in their own family.
- They set goals, achieve them and have fun. One of my kids love farming in Minecraft so much it has spurned a real passion for agriculture and farming!
- I use it as a motivator! Not ashamed to admit that the two set times they are allowed to play is after bath/before dinner on a Friday afternoon and before church (provided they have shoes on ready to go) on a Sunday morning. It makes my life much easier!
Here are our Minecraft Rules that work for the Freckles. May also help you get your head around the pixel world!
Remember each family is different, this is what works for us:
1. Set times - remember you are the parent. They can play for finite times on certain days.
2. No internet connection - we play Minecraft on the x-box as we have chosen to have it as a static console. They are not allowed to play the internet version on the PC. They are just too young to understand. They have whinged about this many times! But for me, it is the safety net I am comfortable with, you may not agree, but we are all different, so that's ok! We happily have their friends over to play x-box in person if they are concerned about not playing Minecraft with their mates!
3. Parents must be around - it is not a set and forget. If we are not floating around the place then no Minecraft.
4. Real life consequences for Minecraft meanness! So if you knock down my house, you can't play the game and have a 10 minute lock out. Controller surrendered, timer on!
5. If we fight, it gets turned off. Simple, they get along or don't get to play.
So there you have it, some Minecraft ideas from the Freckles. And if you don't suffer from motion sickness then I encourage you to give it a go... it's really fun! You may even get a Diamond Castle made for you too!
Felicity xx
