Happy New Year to you and your Whānau from the team at Brain Play! I hope it was filled with sunshine, laughs and memories. We all took a well-deserved break to catch up with family and friends but we are back in action for the January holidays. We still have a few Minecraft holiday programmes to go until back to school starts so I wanted to answer the question…
How is Minecraft educational?
Minecraft offers a unique and interactive way for kids to learn about a variety of subjects. From architecture & design to science & technology, mathematics, teamwork and problem-solving, the possibilities are endless!
Firstly, Minecraft is a great way to introduce younger children to architecture and design. The game allows them to build structures using a wide range of materials such as wood, glass, stone and sand. Building structures teaches children the importance of planning before acting because building a house out of sand will not hold as well as say, stone. Minecraft also gives children the opportunity to recreate famous landmarks they have a special interest in, you can imagine how exciting it would be to build your own version of the Pyramids or the Great Wall of China!
Secondly, Minecraft falls under the STEM umbrella that our Brain Play courses are centred around. Kids can learn how different materials are found and used in the game, such as how coal can be mined and used for crafting torches/campfires and can also be used as fuel - just like in real life! Minecraft doesn’t just offer education around construction materials, it also has elements of life in the game. Kids have the opportunity to learn about the process of harvesting crops and farming for food - including recruiting villagers for a fully automatic farming process.
Thirdly, there is an element of maths and logic in Minecraft. For example, children can learn about basic maths concepts such as counting, measuring, and geometry by building structures in the game. Additionally, at Brain Play, our tutors offer an extension of Redstone circuits - Redstone is an in game material that allows players to extend their gameplay and experience with STEM as they create mechanisms like doors, levers, buttons and even elevators! It's a fun way to learn about electricity and engineering while being creative and problem-solving.
Finally, Minecraft is an amazing way to teach kids about working together as a team. At our holiday programmes, we open up a world in Minecraft that all of the kids join, this means they can collaborate on projects and build structures together. This can be a great way to teach children about the importance of communication, cooperation, and collaboration in achieving a common goal. Additionally, children can learn about the importance of problem-solving and critical thinking when dealing with unexpected challenges in the game.
We will be hosting a full-day Minecraft programme in Remuera on the 24th and Kumeu on the 25th of January, now that you know how educational it is we hope to see you there!
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