Ready to learn Minecraft coding? Today we're going to guide you through everything you need to know about Minecraft coding for kids, and the ways it will benefit your child.
Kids love playing games, especially Minecraft. If you’ve ever watched kids as they play games together in person, you've noticed they create their own rules and modify the game as they go. Perhaps you've heard your child lament that they wish they could add or change something in their electronics games.
What if there was a way for kids to learn critical thinking skills, important computer science concepts and modify a popular electronic game, like Minecraft all at the same time? Lucky for you, there is!
By the way do you know how different power sources such as Redstone blocks, torches, and switches can be used to power blocks around them in different ways in Minecraft? Join an award-winning virtual Minecraft engineering class for kids and find out how to customize your Minecraft worlds all sorts of cool ways, led live by an expert. And learn how to code your own games when you join an award-winning virtual Minecraft coding class for kids, led live by an expert and designed by professionals from Google, Stanford, and MIT.
Learn Minecraft Coding
Find out how you can help your child start coding in Minecraft (also referred to as modding because they are modifying the game), and so much more.
Why Learn Minecraft Coding?
Understanding coding is like having a superpower for navigating the digital landscape! Coding skills are the building blocks that power the apps, websites, and technologies we use every day. Learning to code isn't just about becoming a computer whiz; it's about developing problem-solving skills, creativity, and logical thinking—essential skills for success in any field. And guess what? Minecraft, that game your kids love so much, is not just about building blocks in the virtual world; it's also a fantastic tool for learning coding! When kids code within Minecraft, they're not just playing a game; they're exploring, experimenting, and creating. So, by encouraging your kids to learn coding through Minecraft, you're not only helping them prepare for the future but also giving them a fun and exciting way to develop skills that will benefit them for life.
How Minecraft Coding Works
In Minecraft, kids can dive into the world of coding in ways that are both fun and educational! One way they can do this is through block-based programming languages, which are like digital building blocks that they can snap together to create commands. It's kind of like building with Legos, but instead of making physical structures, they're building programs that tell Minecraft what to do.
Another way kids can code in Minecraft is by using JavaScript, which is a text-based programming language. With JavaScript, kids can write code directly using text, giving them more control and flexibility over their creations. It's like writing a story or a recipe, but instead of words, they're using commands to tell Minecraft what to do. Whether they prefer the simplicity of block-based coding or the challenge of text-based coding, Minecraft offers plenty of opportunities for kids to explore and learn coding in a way that suits their interests and abilities.
Get Started Learning Minecraft Coding
Here's a quick step-by-step guide to get your student started with Minecraft coding, which we recommend doing by following the fun Minecraft Hour of Code lesson, which is available for free in Minecraft: Education Edition in more than 20 languages. Students can explore coding and artificial intelligence as they protect a village from forest fires in an immersive Minecraft world. The lesson is based on a real-world example of AI used for conservation, inspired by a Microsoft AI for Earth project.
Anyone with a Windows device, Mac, or iPad can download the Minecraft Education Edition app and try coding in Minecraft—no license required. If you’re licensed through Office 365, you can sign in with your school account. If you haven’t had access to Minecraft: Education Edition in the past, this is a simple and fun way to give it a try!
- Download Minecraft: Education Edition. When you open the app, start the demo lesson to enter the Hour of Code world and start coding!
- Head to the Hour of Code lesson page to find the lesson plan in more than 20 languages and a solutions guide. Watch the walkthrough video for a full tour of the lesson.
- For further support, here’s a step-by-step guide to the entire experience of accessing and playing the Hour of code lesson.
Resources to Learn Minecraft Coding
- Hour of Code Minecraft Lessons: From an under water adventures to escaping an estate, learn Minecraft coding in these simple but fun interactive experiences provided by Code.org.
- Minecraft Education Lessons: Teach your student conditionals, functions, coordinates and more in block-based coding and JavaScript with this 30-hr comprehensive set of materials based on CSTA standards.
- Microsoft Makecode: A great free website is Microsoft’s Makecode. There is a place for your child to watch tutorials about how to use the interface and how to get started creating projects. It allows your child to program three different ways depending on their comfort level. Lava tower is a really cool option to start as well as flower trail. The tutorials are engaging and offer flexibility for your child to try out different programming languages.
- Learn to Mod: Another great website to use is Learn to Mod. This is a paid site, unless provided to your child through their school or a class that gives them a class code. This is the platform Create & Learn uses to teach Minecraft modding. Your child can program using blocks or Javascript. Learn to Mod also provides tutorials, where kids earn badges, and has its own simulator to run the tutorials. It also motivates kids to keep learning through a diamond economy that they can use to purchase more features.
- Minecraft coding lessons: To learn with the help of a live expert instructor, check out Create & Learn's award-winning Minecraft courses. In our live online classes, your child will enjoy personalized learning and support as they continue to build their confidence and skills. We help students set up their own Minecraft server and Learn to Mod account, and embark on engaging projects: coding a farm, creating a game, and more.
Coding Minecraft Mods: Here’s how to start a farm in 10 steps using Learn to Mod
Let's jump in!
1. Login to your Learn to Mod Account.
2. Select Play and Mods.
3. Name your mod Farm and select Blocky Multiplayer.
4. Create a main, an animal, and a fence function.
5. Create new Variable called d, set to new drone, and place it in the main function.
6. Code d to spawn mob types of whatever animals you want on your farm inside your animal function.
7. Code d to create a 20 x 20 fence.
8. Callback animal and fence function in your main function.
9. Click green Mod button and run in Minecraft.
10. Go back and modify as needed.
Now you're ready to learn Minecraft coding!
Now that you’ve learned about Minecraft, the different way kids play it, how schools use it, and how it will transform the way your child thinks about coding, get started coding Minecraft! Whether you and your child decide to start coding on your own or through our classes, we believe your child will develop an interest in coding and game design while fostering his/her problem solving and critical thinking skills for life. Begin with our Minecraft modding quest class (grades 3-6) and this one for grades 4-8 - or learn engineering concepts with Minecraft Redstone.
Up next explore the best Minecraft skin editors.
Written by Adrienne Unertl, instructor at Create & Learn. In 2017, Adrienne was awarded Wyoming’s Elementary STEM Educator of the Year. She brings over over 15 years of experience teaching. And currently teaches coding through Scratch, robotics, 3D printing, micro:bits, makey-makeys, and Arduinos.
