[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Smart creatives are people with an entrepreneurial mindset who meet the needs of others by creating things. In the world there are two types of people, creators and consumers. Creators make the money, consumers spend the money! We want our kids to be creators and the best way to do that is by starting them young in simulated environments. We use Minecraft in our camps and on our safe, moderated server to simulate the real world.

We seek out natural leaders in each Minecraft Workshop and explicitly instruct them how to help and lead the beginner players. This teaches them how to be leaders and gives them a tremendous sense of contribution and boosts self esteem. From there they can progress through various levels of leadership gaining more skills and confidence as they go. If you have ever heard them talking about being a moderator or an admin then this is what we are talking about.  We now have kids aspiring to be Minecraft Camp Leaders which is fantastic. It is possible to do something you are passionate about and love all while making a good living.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”5062″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Setting rules and boundaries around Minecraft is important and should be negotiated with your child. Children are much more likely to follow rules that they have been involved in creating. I recommend negotiating agreed rules about the following:

1. How much time they are allowed to spend playing Minecraft? i.e. we finish playing at 8.30pm on school nights
2. Some steps they can take if they get frustrated i.e. walk outside, pat the dog, have a drink of water
3. What they should do if a Youtuber they are listening to is swearing! (I recommend you have a ban list of inappropriate Youtubers)
4. Where are they allowed to play Minecraft (e.g., offline only, local multiplayer with friends, Xbox, servers)?
5. How much money are they allowed to spend money on Minecraft? (I recommend that kids not be allowed to spend money on Minecraft if you can avoid it.) On our server we don’t charge for ranks, items or anything at all in the game.

Two months access to the Myndcraft server is included in the Minecraft Camp price and that can be extended either as a reward or gift from us or by purchasing a subscription.

Always state rules in the positive. Avoid the use of NO. Instead be creative and think of how to say the same thing but positively.

Some example rules could be.

• We finish playing Minecraft before 8.30pm
• I play and chat only with people I know
• I never give my full name or any personal details to anyone EVER
• If a Youtuber swears or is rude I turn it off immediately and do not watch any more of his videos
• I treat others in the game like I want to be treated

Please let me know if you have some rules that other parents may benefit from in the comments below.

Every Minecraft Camper takes home an awesome workbook packed full of really great content. This book has been revised hundreds of times to make it really relevant and really useful. There are also Youtube videos for every heading in this book on the Mind Buzz Youtube Channel. If you lose the book or want the latest one you can download one from our store or pay to get one posted out to you if you prefer the hardcopy one. They are free for every kid at camp!

At Minecraft Camp we start the day in a tutorial world where we do some crafting recipes from the workbook. We also have Crafting Recipe books that the kids can refer to during the camp and can be bought at the end of the day. The workbooks have a heap of commands that we use in the Economy survival world. We teach kids how to claim land and protect their containers and doors so they cannot get griefed. Griefing is the biggest problem on Minecraft Servers so we would rather just put systems in place to prevent that headache so the the kids can focus on creativity and connecting with each other positively.

After lunch we generally do a creative build in our plots world. this requires another set of commands and these are all in the workbook and on the Youtube videos too.

There are heaps of other cool things in the minecraft camp workbook too such as heaps of colouring in pages, info on ranks, how to get help! and how to get access to the server after the camp.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I am a massive fan of Indiegogo so I always read their emails when they come through to see what amazing new things people are creating in the world. The Pause project really caught my eye as its a problem that my family struggles with and it’s only set to get worse as our kids get older. They are learning from me and my wife and frankly, we aren’t always the best role models.

So the idea behind pause is that you put your phones inside a signal proof container while you are at the dinner table or any other important distraction free event such as a meeting. The phones cannot receive any phone or wifi reception in the container so no addictive notifications are going off distracting you from the task at hand which is bonding with your family, friends or acquaintances.

So check it out. Social change projects like this are always worth getting behind. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/pause-bring-back-dinner-table-conversation-family-phone–3#/[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In case you want to print out a Christmas image to let your lucky child know they are going to Minecraft Camp download or right-click and save an image from below and print it out. I use Officeworks when I want good quality A4 colour prints done.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”5023″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” onclick=”img_link_large” img_link_target=”_blank”][vc_single_image image=”5020″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” onclick=”img_link_large” img_link_target=”_blank”][vc_single_image image=”5018″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” onclick=”img_link_large” img_link_target=”_blank”][vc_single_image image=”5014″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” onclick=”img_link_large” img_link_target=”_blank”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Here is an overview of the normal “Minecraft Camp” day. The morning consists of a tutorial session, to make sure everyone has a strong grasp of the basics and we can all enjoy the game together. There is a big focus on teamwork in this time and that sets the groups up for a great day ahead.

After a mid-morning break, we then move onto an Economy Survival world, where the goal is to build a village together. This session combines real-world concepts into the game world. Lessons are peppered throughout this session, starting off with privacy and protecting your hard earned gear, as well as cyber safety. We discuss what makes a successful community, and teamwork and cohesion is a strong focus here. Once the village is thriving, we introduce the marketplace. Here we discuss basic buying and selling, demand and supply and other economic concepts. Being able to reflect these concepts in an engaging manner really gives weight to the potential this game has in teaching real world concepts!

The post lunch session is in a creative world, where we do a build challenge. The afternoon is about self-expression and building something cool to show everyone else. I like to think of the morning as the ‘smart’ part and the afternoon as the ‘creative’.

Finally after a short afternoon break we have some free time, and a final debrief. Kids can show their parents what they’ve learnt and built, and then it’s home time. They can access the servers from home too so the learning continues…

What these camps break down to is an engaging educational experience in a fun and stimulating environment, with a strong focus on social learning and collaboration via the awesome digital medium of Minecraft.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”4511″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_single_image image=”4508″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_single_image image=”4505″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row]