What age for playing Minecraft ?

[pinkdinosaursarereal]

My DS has been watching minecraft videos on kids you tube and has really crime enthralled with it. Previously he has only really been into one type of toy & subject to watch and this new interest seems to have given him other ideas. He's even enjoying other books we have about knights, magic and witches. I am a bit worried it's about killing people, so what age would you recommend they are before playing the actual game?

Minecraft isn't about killing people. You can kill zombies and creepers but there's a creative mode where there are no baddies attacking at all and you just build stuff.

I don't have kids but my 8 year old nephew has probably played it for a couple of years or so.

It's not so much about killing people. They have to build a home and find/ mine for resources. There are monsters to kill -skeletons, zombies and witches although they are cartoon like in appearance. It's rated age 7 I think but mine have all played independently from 6, they've joined in with siblings from probably 5. It's not scary, how old is your ds?

Yes totally forgot about creative mode.

DS1 (year 3) plays it in IT club at school. There’s an education one (education.minecraft.net/). I had it slightly confused with Fortnite at some stage which DSs’ school are fiercely against.

You can set it to peaceful so nothing attacks you and you can avoid the online servers so it’s fine for younger children IMO. I’m creative mode you can’t die. The focus on building and farming was great when my son was younger, he’s been playing it since he was almost 5. He’s 7 now and is an expert! I think it’s one of the most child friendly games you can get tbh.

In* creative mode

5+ I'd say, as long as all the appropriate settings are deployed so it's just for building.

Creative is quite positive i think.

Its nothing like warcraft or fortnite or COD

My 4yr old (almost 5) plays it with dh. I think he’s a tiny bit young really (he find the controls quite complicated and the whole concept of collecting stuff to make things is a bit beyond him tbh) I would say in a year or so he’ll love it!

In peaceful mode, it's just like playing with building blocks.

Mine started just after he turned 4. After a few weeks he was fluent. Fabulous game.

DS 5 plays it on creative, has done since he was just 5, he loves it. It’s like lego... he does play a bit of survival, but on peaceful mode so makes no difference re killings.

He got Roblox for Xmas, which is worse 🤣

He also watches a lot of minecraft videos on YouTube 🤣

Minecraft actually can be very much like fortnite - Minecraft Bedwars is "last man standing" (basically the Hunger Games)... Lots of parents who've heard its educational are totally unaware of Bedwars.

Its only educational if you start programming - which you really need to be playing on a PC for, not a console.

pinkdinosaursarereal I'm afraid your almost certainly shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted if he's been watching YouTube minecraft videos anyway. There's lots of stuff with mods on there which is way more violent than anything he'd encounter playing Minecraft alone, offline (and with stupid commentary too).

As others say Minecraft in creative mode only is harmless for even small children, with time limits obviously.

My 4 yr old plays it in creative mode on the easy setting. He has taught himself an amazing amount and the imaginative things he has come up with are pretty amazing and at times utterly surreal. He currently has a multi-storey tree house which includes an aquarium, and his mine has different rooms with different habitats for the various animals. Building a tower which he then filled with dozens and dozens of dogs was on the surreal side, particularly when he knocked a hole in the side and the dogs poured out like a waterfall!

He's 4.5, so in reception at school if there is still school next year. Would he need to be on a computer or could he play on an iPad?

He loves collecting things to make stuff, had been doing scavenger type hunts with him with his toys and he's enjoyed them, like collect the bucket, collect the rope ( with bits of playmobil or figures)! My main concern is all his talk of killing zombies. So I just need to watch out for that side of it. I'm a bit weary.

He's 4.5, so in reception at school if there is still school next year. Would he need to be on a computer or could he play on an iPad?

He loves collecting things to make stuff, had been doing scavenger type hunts with him with his toys and he's enjoyed them, like collect the bucket, collect the rope ( with bits of playmobil or figures)! My main concern is all his talk of killing zombies. So I just need to watch out for that side of it. I'm a bit weary.

Youngest dc has been playing it since age 3, possibly even younger with older siblings. Just running around at first but building things quite soon

It’s not about killing things?

I think DS2 was about 5-6, DS1 being about 7-8.

Minecraft is wonderfully creative.

They do play with mods now (age 10/ 7) and variations like Bed Wars. At least the graphics are simple. They know that if there are behaviour issues attached to a particular game that it gets blocked.

DD1 age 6 loves it a d us desperate for DD2 age 4 to play with her, but DD2 thinks it's yawn

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme I know My DH suggested kids YouTube, as it apparently doesn't allow violence and he'd been watching normal YouTube. As he'd ingrown kids iplayer as his last obsession run its course.

I didn't search stuff when I set up kids YouTube, but he's got to minecraft via what he's picked to watch. But obviously, it's not quite true on the no violence depending on whether you see chopping zombies with swords or killing pick axes violent ?

So creative mode, he could build his own little worlds. What mode is the zombie attacks ? I'm also worried, I'm going to create a gamer, but if I can channel him the right way it would be better than watching rubbish ?? I only ever played sonic the hedgehog in my youth

My not quite 6 year old has been playing for a year or so now and loves it. Usually in creative mode but occasionally in survival, where there are zombies etc to attack. It’s not really scary though, the graphics are pretty simple and very cartoon like. I’m amazed at what she has picked up.

We got a new console for Christmas and I have just tonight set it up so she can play online. I’m hoping there will some filters etc limiting who she can play with but she certainly won’t be getting it unsupervised and the chat settings etc will all be off. We’ll see how it goes.

For younger children I think it’s easier to play on the iPad than in a console. The controls are simpler and more intuitive.
Why don’t you download it and have a go yourself? When you create a new would you choose the settings for it i.e. creative vs survival, the level of difficulty etc.

It’s wonderful! Ds started about 7 and dd about 5. Peaceful creative mode is a good start though the ‘mobs’ (baddies) are very cartoon so it really doesn’t feel violent. I /they recommend Stampy Cat introductory videos as well as DanTDM and the penguin one who’s name I forget-they are all very aware that their audience is young. There are a lot of screaming idiot minecraft you-tubers as well so brace yourself when ds is a bit older..

My three youngest have all played it from 4. My oldest still plays now at 15, it’s a brilliant game.