everything you need to get started with minecraft
From creating a kid-safe setup to learning how to play side-by-side, we’re here to help you confidently explore Minecraft with your child, one block at a time.
Quick Start Guide
Follow this free Quick Start Guide to get started.
Questions or suggestions? Contact Us
01
Download and Install Minecraft
For the safest experience, choose Minecraft Java Edition for computers. Tablets and consoles use Minecraft Bedrock Edition, which allows playing with strangers, has public friend lists, and includes user-made content.
Download and install Minecraft for Windows or Minecraft for Mac.
If you’re installing Minecraft on a Windows PC, it automatically installs Bedrock Edition along with Java Edition. To block your child from using Bedrock Edition:
Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps
Uninstall Minecraft (this removes Bedrock Edition, but leaves Java Edition on the computer)
If you haven’t previously done so, use Microsoft Family Safety to block your child’s access to the Microsoft Store.
02
Launch Minecraft and Sign In
Open the Minecraft Launcher and sign in with your Microsoft account. If it’s for your child, use their account or create a new one. For first-time Microsoft accounts for kids, set up a family in Microsoft Family Safety first and use “Add a family member” to make it easier.
03
Create a World
Once you’re logged in, choose Minecraft: Java Edition, click Play, then click Singleplayer. Finally, click Create New World to start setting up your very first Minecraft world.
There are a lot of guides out there detailing all of the options for world configuration. I’ll simplify things by just covering my main two configurations.
Option 1: Creative mode
Minecraft's Creative Mode lets players build and explore freely with unlimited resources, the ability to fly, and monsters that don’t attack. It’s perfect for beginners, younger players, or anyone who wants to focus on creativity without survival challenges.
To get started with Creative mode, click the Game Mode button until it displays “Game Mode: Creative” and click Create New World.
Option 2: Survival mode with a kid-friendly config
Minecraft's Survival Mode challenges players to gather resources, craft tools, and stay alive while managing hunger, health, and threats like monsters. It's a more adventurous and goal-driven way to experience the game. The default settings can make the game a little too challenging for younger players though, so we make the following changes.
Allow Commands lets me enter commands, otherwise known as “cheats”, into the Minecraft chat box to do things like teleport one player to another player, give a player items, and enchant items.
Bonus Chest spawns a chest with some starter items near the player so that they have a few essentials to get started.
Keep Inventory makes it so that when a player dies they don’t lose their stuff. In the default configuration a player's items drop where they die and they only have 5 minutes to get back to that spot to retrieve their items. I honestly use this “cheat” for myself as much as for my child.
Sleep Percentage defines how many players have to be sleeping in order for night to pass. By default, all players must be “sleeping” (i.e. in bed) in order for night to pass. But my child often explores far from our home base, so I set it to 50% so that only one player (i.e. me) has to sleep.
04
Let Your Child Join Your World
To let your child join your Minecraft Java world on the same Wi-Fi network, start by opening a world in Single Player (explained above in Step 3), then press the Esc key and choose “Open to LAN.” On your child’s computer, go to Multiplayer—Minecraft will automatically detect the shared world and show it in the list. Just click it to join. No internet or server setup is required—just make sure both computers are on the same network.
05
Start Playing!
That first Minecraft night can be very difficult if you haven’t spent your first day gathering some essential resources. The top essential item is a bed, as night will drag on for a really long time unless you have a bed to sleep in (once you go to bed, Minecraft speeds up the passing of night). My son is the explorer type, so he typically sets out to find a village (they have lots of beds in villages!) and I focus on:
Wooden planks - To make wooden planks in Minecraft, start by punching or chopping down a tree to collect wood logs. Open your inventory and place the logs into the crafting grid—each log gives you 4 wooden planks. Planks are one of the most important materials in the game and are used to make tools, crafting tables, and more.
Cobblestone and coal - To mine cobblestone and coal, you need a pickaxe. To make a wooden pickaxe in Minecraft, first craft a crafting table using 4 wooden planks. Then, open the crafting table and place 2 sticks in the middle and bottom center slots, and 3 wooden planks across the top row. This will create a wooden pickaxe, which you’ll need to start mining materials like cobblestone and coal. You can find stone just below the dirt layer or on the sides of hills. When you break stone with a pickaxe, it drops cobblestone, which is used for tools, furnaces, and building. Breaking black-speckled coal ore blocks will drop coal, which you can use to make torches or fuel a furnace.
Stone tools and a furnace - Now that you have cobblestone, open your crafting table and use the recipe book to make a stone sword, ax, and pickaxe, as well as a furnace. The furnace will be used later to cook food.
Wool and food - Three pieces of wool are required in order to make one bed, so hunting sheep is a key Day 1 activity. With my stone sword in hand, I’m off to hunt sheep and any other animals that cross my path, as food is critical to surviving in general. Don’t forget to pick up your crafting table before you go off to hunt!
Joining my child - This is where that “Allow Commands” setting is key, because now I can just type “/tp {child’s username}” into the chat box and I’m instantly teleported to wherever he is. Or, if he’s gotten himself stuck in a tricky spot, I type “/tp {child’s username} {my username}” and it teleports him to me.
Set up camp - Now we work together on setting up our camp and preparing for night. i.e. Make a bed, cook some food, make some torches and tools, start building a house, and if I have enough leather from cows, make some basic leather armor.