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11 Family-Friendly Minecraft Servers Where Your Kid Can Play Safely Online

If your kid has spent some time playing Minecraft on their own - or with other family members on your home network - they will probably reach a point where they'll want to play with others online.

Playing Minecraft on a public server can take the game to a whole new level. There are many benefits to playing on a public server. One, you have a new community of likeminded players to connect with and collaborate. This will help your kids develop social skills such a cooperative, compromising, and problem-solving.

In addition, most servers feature huge, prebuilt worlds, with amazing cities and buildings, transport networks, and mini-games for your kid to explore and enjoy.

Finally, most servers extend Minecraft using lots of server plugins, which allow for a whole range of extra gameplay features, including money systems, jobs, role-playing elements and teleports. These features can be added by any Minecraft server.

You may be thinking: Aren't public server dangerous for my child? How can I ensure they are safe from bullying, harassment, and online predators if my child goes on a server.

Of course, no public server is 100 percent safe, but there are some fantastic Minecraft servers out there that cater especially to kids and families. Minecraft Realms allows you to set up a private Minecraft server for your child and close friends.

This guide will highlight eleven of best Minecraft servers that are family-friendly. You'll also learn a bit more about how Minecraft servers work, and how to connect to these servers and start playing online.

At this point, I should point out that this guide is for the PC/Mac version of Minecraft only. There are some servers that are suitable for children, such as the Pocket Edition or Xbox versions of Minecraft. However, most servers work with the PC/Mac version.

So without further ado, let's dive into the world of online, family-friendly Minecraft! We'll start by looking at some important concepts related to public Minecraft servers.

You need to be familiar with key server concepts

Before you join a public server, here are some key terms and concepts to be aware of:

Servers vs. worlds: Usually, a single public Minecraft server has several worlds that you can jump between. A main survival world may have a second world with creative-mode, while another world might have a mini-games world. There will be a central lobby or hub that allows you to teleport between worlds. PvP and PE: PvP stands to "player against player", while PvE stands to "player vs. the environment". Most public servers, particularly those that are family-friendly, offer PvE. You fight monsters, not other players. Some servers have PvP areas where you can fight other users. (Usually, you don’t lose all of your stuff if a player dies in a PvP area, unlike a survival world. It's just for fun.) Spawn: Your player will usually spawn (or start) at a specific point in the world. This is commonly referred to as "spawn". This is typically located in, near, or in a central area of a city or other public place. To return to your spawn point, you can type the command "spawn" Rules: Nearly all servers have rules regarding what you can and can't do. As you would expect, family-friendly servers will have a lot of strict rules. You should read the entire rules. (When you first join some servers, they actually force you to walk past lots of signs with the rules on!) You can be banned temporarily, or even permanently, if you don't comply with the rules. Griefing, grief protection: This is a big problem on public servers. It is possible to demolish other players' houses or steal their stuff. Many - but not all - servers use various plugins to stop griefing. These plugins allow you to lock your chests and doors, and you can claim a piece of land as yours. This means that no one else can create or break any blocks within your claim. In addition, griefing is always forbidden in the server rules; griefers are warned and then banned, and most server admins can "roll back" your building to the state it was in before it was griefed. Text chat: Minecraft comes with text chat (the T key), which is the default method your kid can communicate with other Minecraft players. Chat can be either public or private, which is one-to-one. Obviously your kid will need some reading ability to participate in chat, although you can help them if you're playing online too. Most family-friendly servers employ automatic filtering to prevent swearing in text chat. As with all online chat, remind your child not to share personal information. Voice chat: Some servers connect with voice chat servers such a Mumble, TeamSpeak and Ventrilo to allow players to talk to each other while they are playing. You must be very careful about who and what your child is talking about when they use voice chat. Server commands: You will need to give various commands as you play online to get the best out of it. A command is given by pressing the /(slash) key followed by the command title and sometimes extra text. For example, /sethome typically sets your home point to where you're currently standing, while /home teleports you to your home point. The commands vary from server to server, but you'll soon get the hang of them. Mods: If you have mods installed to your Minecraft client, you should be cautious when connecting to servers. Most servers ban mods, especially those that allow cheating. OptiFine mods, which make your game run more smoothly, are usually okay.

How to join the server

Joining a public Minecraft server is very easy. Just open the Minecraft launcher and click Play to run the main Minecraft game. To add a server, click the Add Server button once you have reached the main title screen.

Next, enter a name for your server in the Server Name box. Then, in the Server Address box, enter the server address. This will usually be a domain address such as mc.intercraften.org. Or an IP address such as 1.2.3.4. Click Next to add the server into your server list.

Click Add Server and enter your server details. The Join Server button allows you to connect to your server.

Then it's simply a matter of clicking a server in the list, and clicking the Join Server button to connect to it.

Let's now look at some of the issues that can arise when you join a server.

You can divide public Minecraft servers into two types:

Whitelisted servers are protected with a whitelist, which is a list that allows users to join the server. To join a whitelisted Minecraft server, you will need to apply to be added to the whitelist. This involves filling out forms and waiting for a few days or hours. Most servers require you fill out separate applications for your child as well as for yourself. Once you're on the whitelist, you join the server as described above. Non-whitelisted server do not have a Whitelist. This means anyone can join the Server by simply entering the Server's Address in their Minecraft Client, as shown above.

Although it can be frustrating to apply for a whitelisted account, it is possible to have your server administrator know all the players.

Server and client versions

It is important to ensure that the version number for your Minecraft client (or game) matches the version of the server. You won't be connected if the versions don't match.

Minecraft's current version is 1.7.9, however many servers still run 1.7.2 or even 1.6.4. Sometimes the server's website will tell what version they are using, but sometimes you have to go and try it to find out. If you get an error message using the 1.7.9 clients, you can try the 1.7.2 version instead.

It is easy to switch to other versions of Minecraft client. In the Minecraft launcher, you can click New Profile to create different profiles that use any Minecraft version you like. Simply select the profile you wish, from the drop-down list, and then click Play.

It's easy to set up the Minecraft launcher with profiles for different versions. Here are the profiles I created for 1.7.2 & 1.7.9. OptiFine, a handy mod that speeds up Minecraft's performance, is available. You can choose which version you want by clicking the "Use Version" dropdown in top of the window.

The list below contains family-friendly servers

Now that you know the basics of playing online with Minecraft, here are 11 excellent Minecraft servers for you and your kid to play on.

I have personally played on all of these servers. They are not in any particular order. I think that they are all excellent and each one is welcoming to parents, grandparents, and children alike.

Each server will have its own "feel", so it is worth trying out a few to discover which one you like best.

Cubeville is an excellent server that's family-friendly. You don't have to apply to join cubeville.org - you can just type cubeville.org in your Minecraft client. However, the server is well-policed and has a clear list of rules. You will also find a detailed tutorial when you first sign up.

Cubeville's huge world has a large central city as well as many smaller towns and settlements scattered all over the map.
There are many things to do and people to meet. It's fairly crowded, so to build you'll need to catch a ride on the transport system and head out to the edge of the map.

Cubeville has a unique money system, with quests for cash; smart automated shops; as well as a great transport network. You can also get land and chest security so you can claim your Cubeville area.

Update 14 April 2019 Towncraft has been closed. The Towncraft staff members have set up another family-friendly server called Ohanacraft that still adheres to Towncraft's guiding principles.

Update 10 August 2020: Towncraft is back up and running! It still follows the same rules as before, and uses the same server names. Yay!

Towncraft isn't whitelisted so anyone can join. Simply enter play.towncraft.us to your Minecraft client. It also has a TeamSpeak server for voice chat; you can find the IP address on the Towncraft website.

Towncraft has a lot more to it than being a simple world to explore or build in. The world has been destroyed by a meteor, and you and your friends must rebuild it. At the start of the game, you pick a trade, such as hunter, farmer, blacksmith or merchant, then as you improve your skills in that trade over time, you unlock new abilities.

Towncraft doesn’t get too busy, which makes it a relaxing crafting experience. There are parents and kids playing on the server, and people are generally are friendly and helpful.

The server uses the Zombie ApocalypsePlugin. This randomly causes a horde (or more) of zombies to appear around the player at nights. To receive a reward, you must defeat them. Although younger players may be a bit scared, it's a lot of fun for older children.

Towncraft uses Grief Prevention plugin to protect your house from other players' grief.

Kolgrath, Towncraft admin, has created a player guide as well as a handy parent’s guide to Towncraft. It is well worth a look.
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Intercraften is a very popular family-friendly Minecraft server. It's well planned out, and has extremely helpful moderators that are good at sorting out problems and looking after everyone, parents and kids alike.

The server has been whitelisted. To join the server, you must first complete the simple application form.

Intercraften has many worlds.

You can earn coins by working for the server's money system. You can use the cash to buy stuff in shops, and also to claim chunks of land so that others can't grief your builds. If you do get griefed, the moderators are very careful to set everything right again (and ban the offender from the server).

In addition to the usual server commands (/spawn,/sethome or /home), you can also use Intercraften Menu book (given for free when you sign up) to perform commands, pick jobs and play mini games.

The Sandlot is a whitelisted, family-friendly Minecraft server that's been running since December 2011. It is operated by a former teacher and has good rules and filters to prevent abusive behavior.
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What I like about The Sandlot is the good balance of different worlds available. There's Semi-Vanilla Survival, which is pretty close to a standard Minecraft world, with the sensible addition of Grief Prevention and also a virtual currency system (tied to gold ingots) so that players can set up shops.

Easy Survival is a wonderful world for younger children. Semi-Vanilla Survival could be called Scrabble. This is Junior Scramble. Rather than having to spend ages digging around for resources and items, kids can choose a job (such as farming) to earn money, then spend their money to buy items in a big mall in the centre. This makes for a much easier, more relaxed gameplay style. This is a great idea.

Other worlds in The Sandlot include a Creative world, and lots of PvP game worlds including hunger games (based loosely on the books and movies), spleef and so on. There is also a skyblock universe (a world that has floating islands and many challenges).

The Lobby, which is a magnificent building inspired by Hogwarts from Harry Potter, allows access to all these worlds. This, along with many other Sandlot worlds are beautifully designed and create a fun, welcoming environment.

CrazyPig is a small family-friendly Minecraft server with a great community. It was originally created by a UK parent for his son. But, it is now open for all. It is not whitelisted; to join, just add play.crazypig.net to your Minecraft client.

CrazyPig uses a "belt system" to rank players based on how long they have been playing on the server. As you spend more time playing on the server, you automatically get belts of a higher rank which gives you access to certain worlds and more "homes" to which you can set and warp.

A currency system is available, as well as a simple virtual marketplace that allows players to buy and sell items.

CrazyPig is like many other servers and features many interconnected realms. From the lobby, you can choose a warp world to travel to. There's the Main World in which you'll build your home and spend most time. There's also the Creative World (you need Green Belt or higher to get it); a Games World featuring a giant chess table; and an Extra Hard World if your brave enough!

CrazyPig isn't whitelisted. However, it has a friendly and helpful community of players and employs the Grief Prevention plug-in to stop players grieving. It also has pretty good automatic language filters to eliminate swearing.

A fairly novel aspect of CrazyPig is the concept of regions. The main world is automatically divided into regions. When you join, you are automatically added to the newest area. However, you can move between regions. This ensures that each area of the world doesn't get overcrowded. Although it can be confusing at first, once you get used to it, it is a very effective system.

CrazyPig, a great server, is for you if your looking for a strong community, without too many rules, and the freedom to build and enjoy.

Addstar

Addstar is a busy Australian server and is child-friendly. It is not whitelisted so anyone could join, but it has a moderated environment and comes with LWC protection (for locking the things) and Grief Prevention. This allows you to claim land so it can’t be grieved.

Addstar has a central spawn area with warps that allow you to travel to other worlds. There are many portals to a standard survival world as well as one to a creative world that has tons of amazing creations. Only donors to the server have the ability to build them.

In the spawn town you'll also find warps to tons of mini-games, including BlockHunt, a maze, parkour, spleef, CTF (capture the flag), survival games, and even Connect 4, checkers and chess!

There's always a lot happening on the Addstar server, and - apart from a brief intro - you're pretty much thrown in at the deep end, so this server is probably better for older kids, or those who already know Minecraft and Minecraft servers well. However, the staff is always friendly.

MineSquish, a whitelisted server, has a strict application process. Register on the forums to apply. You will need to introduce yourself and participate in the forums for a few minutes. Only then can you apply for whitelisting. You can apply for whitelisting on behalf of your child if they are too young to participate in the forums. In this case, all you need to do is make an introduction post and show your kid that you have read the server rules and explained them.

This relatively lengthy whitelisting process, combined with strict server rules, ensures that players are fairly well vetted before they play, and helps to foster a good community spirit.

The MineSquish server is very family-friendly and has all sorts of features to make the game safe to play for youngsters, including a monster-free spawn (starting) town, a rail and road system to make it easy to get around and avoid getting lost, carefully managed towns, and lockable chests, doors and furnaces.

The server does not have anti-griefing protection. This means that your build can be destroyed by other players. However, players are generally well-behaved in the MineSquish community and the server admins are good at catching griefers, so griefing doesn't tend to be a big problem.

There are many worlds you can explore.

Here is a good MineSquish starter guide for parents and young kids.

SafeCraft

SafeCraft, formerly Win Family Survival, is a small, but growing server that is family-friendly. It was created by a dedicated group of parents and children in the UK. It uses strict filtering and whitelisting in order to make it a kid-friendly server, where players of all abilities can help one another. Moderators are especially open to helping children with ADHD and those on the autistic spectrum.

The server has a fun, lively feeling to it with a fantastically colorful main lobby (see image above).
The safe, welcoming environment means this server will appeal to kids both young and old. The server also includes nice touches like "Server Champion", awards and recognising birthdays. These add to the sense that there is a sense of community.

You can reach the lobby from a standard survival realm (grief protection is available); the SafeCraft universe (no hostile mammas - great to little kids); a world that allows resource gathering; and a lot of great mini-games, such as Block Hunt and Skyblock. The lobby also contains a few spleef areas.

Overall, this is a good place to serve children who like to play in a safe, friendly environment with a close-knit group.

Blocklandia, a whitelisted server that is fun and family-friendly, is suitable for all ages. Some players as young as four! The moderators are very helpful, and usually give you a guided tour when you first join. They may even offer to help you build your first house!

The spawn (starting zone) is themed like a large shipyard. Each ship takes the player to a different location. Mainland is the main survival world, while Peaceful is a safer mode with no hostile mobs or fall damage. There's also a Creative world, reached via a pretty hot air balloon.

Blocklandia has a money system that uses "shillings". You can earn shillings in many jobs, including weaponsmith, builder, sorcerer and alchemist, as well as pirate!

The enormous library is an excellent addition to the shipyard. You can add a book to the library or write one yourself.

Although you can't claim land in the survival universes, the server uses the LWC plugin that allows you to lock doors, chests, furnaces, and other items. A detailed and clear set of rules is available (which you need to read when you first connect). Things like TNT and fire are generally forbidden, and moderators are adept at dealing with grief.

Blocklandia is a great option for kids who are new to Minecraft but want to be part of a welcoming, helpful community.

Famcraft was founded by parents who wanted to make Minecraft safe for their kids online. It's been around for a few years and has built a solid community of players ranging from 5 through 77 years.

Famcraft is not whitelisted - just add survival.famcraft.com to your Minecraft client, and away you go. One of the friendly staff members may offer you a tour after you sign up for the first time. There are usually at the most a few staff online at any given time.

The main survival server is huge, with lots of great features. The main spawn area is a beautiful, wooden seaside village with stargates (warps), that link to different locations on the map. There are six randomly-changing warps into the wilderness that you can mine and construct; you can also get free farms if your need resources; cities to explore; a Carnival; a sports arena (with optional PvP); mazes; as well as tons of other attractions. There are many plugins available that allow you create cool stuff using signs and redstone such as lifts and drawbridges, iron gate, and hidden areas.

Famcraft offers more than just the standard server elements like a currency system and jobs system. It also has grief prevention with LWC or PreciousStones. Famcraft has its own unique community feel.

For example, there are a large number of clans that you can join to work on projects together, and there are also lots of giant player statues to show appreciation for helpful players on the server.

The server staff also regularly stream family friendly music with Mixlr, which really adds an element of fun to the gameplay. They even host dance parties in a fantastic dance area within the world!

Famcraft also has a Mumble server which many players use to chat with each other while playing. A #famcraft IRC channel lets players chat with one another even when they're not playing. All IRC chat can also be seen in the regular Minecraft ingame chat window.

For extra fun and games, there is also a world called FTB (FeedTheBeast).

The Famcraft staff are attentive, helpful and chatty, and make a great effort to make sure everyone is playing safely and having fun.

YAMS

YAMS - Yet Another Minecraft Server - is a small family-friendly server run by a dedicated team in the UK. It uses whitelisting. Register first for the forums, then submit a whitelist request to the "Introduce And Whitelist Yourself” forum.

What I like most about YAMS are the thoughtfulness and creativity that went into creating a realistic world. There is a central spawn city with a large shopping center, as well as four satellite towns that can be reached via a wide transport network. Each satellite town has its own feel and building code. For example, buildings in one town are made from cobblestone while others have wooden buildings. (To build in a city, you must first show you can build nice buildings in the sandbox located within the town.

There are many sightseeing opportunities available throughout the land. These include a coliseum with PvP gaming, a university (under development), a theatre and windmill, as well as numerous mazes, observation towers, and many other attractions. You can also find hidden gems all over the map.

YAMS does not have chest locking or grief protection; however the server has a close-knit community and a strict set of rules that help to keep things running along nicely. Any items that have been stolen or grieved can be restored by the server administrator.

If your kid likes playing closely with a team inside a structured environment then they will likely enjoy this server.

Happy playing!

I hope you've found this guide to family-friendly Minecraft servers useful, and that you find a great server that you and your kid can enjoy. Perhaps I'll see you on one of them.