Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures. Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles. As unschoolers, we adore Minecraft for the educational value it provides. My middle daughter learned to read by playing Minecraft and the learning never seems to stop, or even slow down. There is always something new coming from that game. You can play in Creative Mode with unlimited resources or mine deep in Survival Mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off dangerous mobs. Do all this alone or with friends; it was the friends aspect that taught her how to read. She wanted to communicate with other players, so she was forced to figure out how to do that, and she found a love for reading in the process. The games are very family-friendly and great for kids. The toys and collectibles make great gifts for anyone already into the game.

Best Buy carries a large assortment the assortment of Minecraft products – this includes an Xbox One S console bundle, additional Minecraft games and Minecraft toys and collectibles that will make fantastic gifts for the littles.

While there are programs out there that use Minecraft and make curriculum to fit, I think this article by Unschooling NYC, titled “Why we don’t do Minecraft homeschool” sums it up nicely. While it is uber educational, it doesn’t need to be forced, nor even mentioned to the children how educational it can be; just let them live, love, and explore, the learning comes naturally then.

*The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.