Minecraft is a game built to test your survival skills, resourcefulness, and creative ability. It’s very much like the “choose your own adventure” books we used to read as kids, but with the ability to design and write your own adventures completely. How that journey looks and feels can be enhanced with Minecraft mods. Traditional Minecraft already offers an endless amount of possibilities. However, throwing Minecraft mods into the mix adds another layer of depth and replayability. Like the number of things you can do in Minecraft, mods are also endless since they are being developed on a daily basis.
While Minecraft is played by all ages, it’s especially popular with kids between the ages of 6 and 13. Not only is the game entertaining, but it also helps kids improve problem solving skills, increase computer literacy, and explore their creativity. What are some fun ways for kids to mod their Minecraft experience? Try one of these best Minecraft mods for kids.
What are Minecraft Mods?
Minecraft mods allow you to control your gameplay in a variety of ways. You can turn your game into a better-looking version of the current game, create your own Jurassic Park, simulate an RPG with quests and dungeons, or even go as far as exploring space after building and launching your own rocket. If you thought regular Minecraft unlocked your creative potential, Minecraft mods increase it tenfold.
How do I put mods into Minecraft?
Adding mods to Minecraft can vary from easy to a medium level of difficulty, depending on the platform you are using. Downloading mods on a platform like Xbox is as simple as buying the mod directly in the Microsoft store and accessing them in your game.
It gets a bit more complicated when you want to download mods on the PC Java edition, but nothing most kids can’t handle with a bit of help from their parents. Find out how to download and install Minecraft mods.
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What mods are safe for Minecraft?
Anytime you add new software to your computer, it always comes with a possibility of containing something harmful. Minecraft mods are no exception. Luckily for us, Minecraft has a large community that has done the hard work of providing safe mods for you to download.
The best way to ensure mods are safe for Minecraft is by downloading from a reputable source with a high amount of downloads. Two popular websites to download mods are Minecraft Forge and CurseForge.
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Where to find the best Minecraft Mods for kids
You can download mods from many places, but it’s often best to start a trustworthy source. A common website is minecraftmods.com. You can use Minecraft Forge to install mods you find there for free. While installing individual mods this way gives you more control, there are some easier methods that involve other software handling the installations for you. If you are looking for something like this we recommend CurseForge. See full instructions on how to download and install Minecraft mods.
10 Best Minecraft Mods for Kids
Since there are tens of thousands of mods out there, we decided to pick ten of our favorite ones to help you jump into modded Minecraft quicker.
JourneyMap
Anyone who has played Minecraft can tell you how big the world is. JourneyMap allows you to use real-time mapping on multiple devices to easily track where you are and view where you’ve been. It features a minimap and full-screen map of the main world, cave maps, Nether map, and End map.
Biomes O’ Plenty
A must-have for someone who loves a variety of landscapes is Biomes O’ Plenty. As the name implies, this mod adds more biomes to your game. A lot more! However, it also adds many other features such as new building blocks, plants, flowers, armor, and more. If you’re looking for new blocks to enhance regular gameplay, this is the mod to go with.
Tinkers Construct
If you like to build things, I can’t recommend a better mod than Tinkers Construct. This mod provides you with new weapons, tools, and utilities that you had no idea you were missing. My favorite is the 3×3 hammer, which acts as a pickaxe but can mine nine blocks at a time.
Immersive Engineering
Any electricians or Tesla fans? Immersive Engineering introduces a more realistic form of power to your gameplay. You can put up power lines for electricity, large machines for crushing, and windmills or water mills for power generation.
Pixelmon
Another popular game that kids like to play is Pokemon. The Pixelmon team decided to create a mod that allows Minecraft to play like modern Pokemon games. You can throw your Pokeball at wild Pokemon to battle and even breed them.
Paleocraft
Paleocraft completely changes your game. Instead of basic creatures such as cows, pigs, and creepers, you get dinosaurs. There are over 100 new creatures added. You may run into a small docile dinosaur or a large aggressive T-Rex. Luckily, you’ll have new vehicles to help you escape!
Galacticraft
Galacticraft is for future astronauts and space enthusiasts. If you are tired of spending your time on a plain Minecraft world, try building your very own rocket, flying to the moon, and exploring the solar system.
SkyFactory 4
While Minecraft can be very fun and addicting, it can at times get tedious. Mining, crafting, mining, crafting, over and over. When does it end? When you automate it, of course. SkyFactory 4 focuses on helping you automate things such as cobblestone and crops.
All The Mods 6
It can be difficult to decide on a mod to use, so many people use multiple mods at a time. While All The Mods 6 doesn’t actually provide all the mods available, it does provide around 200 mods that work very well together. Downloading just this single mod pack can easily provide you with an endless amount of gameplay.
SevTech: Ages
One of my favorite modes is SevTech: Ages. When you first install this mod and log into your game you’ll start with nothing, not even a map! However, the goal of the game is to progress through the ages of basic “caveman” to stone tools and eventually space. This is the perfect mod to not only teach you about Minecraft but also show progression.
Minecraft Mods Can Teach Kids to Code
Minecraft mods are a great way to enhance your gameplay and there are plenty of mods that are safe for kids to use. What most people fail to realize though is that they can also be a way to educate kids, like how Minecraft teaches kids to code.
Mods aren’t just created out of thin air, they have to be written in code for them to work. Combining coding with something fun like Minecraft early on can help students progress in their coding skills. CodeWizardsHQ currently offers live, online coding classes for elementary, middle, and high school students that teach coding fundamentals through fun projects like creating games and building websites. With the skills they learn, using mods in Minecraft will be even easier, and who knows, maybe they’ll be inspired to create their own mod.
