Minecraft Camps

Kids who love Minecraft have a real-world outlet for their love, through Minecraft camps and programs that incorporate activities related to the game. Camps and specialized sessions of some camps use Minecraft materials to encourage learning in areas such as mathematics.

Here, kids can adapt their love of the game and expand on it with practical-minded real world activities, social engagement and interaction outdoors. There are numerous other benefits. Good Minecraft summer camps feature a healthy mix of coding, crafts and outdoor activities that get kids active, while they also learn more about the game. The game has also been shown, albeit anecdotally, to help kids on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Minecraft kids camps and advantages they offer

Minecraft is strongly appealing to kids in lower middle school, from grades three to six. It's the second highest selling video game of all time (after Tetris). The game is considered safe and creative, appealing to all four main types of learners (visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic).

Summer learning: A notably strong aspect is the math component. It also encourages visualization, because kids must often think ahead while building components within the game. When adapted for the camp learning environment, Minecraft gives kids a "break" from literacy skills development (which some kids find refreshing).

Real life applications: Camps with Minecraft encourage kids to think beyond the game, and adapt its incidental learning aspects to real life applications. Camps encourage budding engineers and architects, or draw out those skills, at an age where kids begin to dream of who they want to be when they grow up.

Social benefits: Camps also cultivate the social aspect of Minecraft. Kids who are introverted or still developing social skills can improve through a Minecraft camp. The game, and camps related to it, stimulate interaction and collaboration. Children playing Minecraft with other campers build confidence in themselves and each other.

Empowerment: Still another aspect that educators, parents and other observers praise about Minecraft is that it allows kids control. For children going through typical childhood challenges (anything from bullying to family problems), Minecraft gives them a small measure of mastery over their part of this virtual world. They control Minecraft's structures, creatures and characters. It can also be a calming, relaxing release for kids who are under stress.  

Minecraft camps offer many advantages to kids, encouraging them to branch out from the game and stretch its benefits into the real world.