Unofficial Minecraft Lab for Kids: Family-Friendly Projects for Exploring and Teaching Math, Science, History, and Culture Through Creative Building

<p><b><i>Unofficial Minecraft Lab for Kids</i> is a collection of creative, collaborative projects that connect in-game challenges with hands-on activities that are both fun and educational.</b><br><br><i>An Amazon Best Kids’ Books of 2016 pick!</i><br><br> Minecraft offers players an environment focused on exploration, imagination, and creation, but its nonlinear game structure can mean spending a lot of time in the game. With these labs, you can <b>balance your child's screen time with real-life learning and interaction</b>.<br><br> You will start the book by brushing up on some common Minecraft language and examining each of the four game modes: survival, creative, adventure, and spectator. Then, you’ll use this knowledge to venture off onto the <b>six different quests that encourage child and adult participation</b>. For each Lab, complete the<b> hands-on activity in art, craft, or design</b>, then <b>build a related in-game project</b>. Have fun with these creative projects and more:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>Make a Chinese finger trap from construction paper, followed by a zombie trap in Minecraft.</li>\n<li>Build a castle from sugar cubes, then learn to build one in Minecraft.</li>\n<li>Create shadow puppets to perform a scene from your favorite story, then animate the scene using Minecraft.</li>\n<li>Make a bow and arrow from popsicle sticks, dental floss, and a cotton swab, then do some archery practice in Minecraft.</li>\n</ul>\n<p><b>Sticker badges at the back of the book</b> reward your child as they complete each quest. You'll even learn how to screencast and narrate your own videos to share with family and friends. <i>Unofficial Minecraft Lab for Kids</i> provides fun, educational gaming goals that you and your child can reach together!<br><br> The popular <b>Lab for Kids series</b> features a growing list of books that share <b>hands-on activities and projects on a wide host of topics</b>, including art, astronomy, clay, geology, math, and even how to create your own circus—all authored by established experts in their fields. Each lab contains a <b>complete materials list</b>, clear <b>step-by-step photographs</b> of the process, as well as <b>finished samples</b>. The labs can be used as singular projects or as part of a yearlong curriculum of experiential learning. The activities are open-ended, designed to be explored over and over, often with different results. Geared toward being taught or guided by adults, they are enriching for a range of ages and skill levels. Gain firsthand knowledge on your favorite topic with Lab for Kids.</p>