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Daily Record
Lifestyle
Lisa Hodge

Minecraft release special games for kids stuck at home which can help them learn

Makers of Minecraft have release special education packs for kids stuck at home because of coronavirus.

Microsoft have released some Education Edition content which is usually only available to teachers and school - for free to gamers to get them through the lockdown period.

The education pack is a specialised version of the game specifically designed for learning.

(Handout)

Gamers can access the free content through the Bedrock edition until June and it can be found on the PC, Xbox, and other platforms.

The free content  offers kids the chance to explore the International Space Staion, inside the human eye, as well as 10 new worlds themed around Greek history, renewable and marine bilogy.

Normally, add-on content is paid for by “Minecoins,” which can be bought by players, but due to the global coronavirus pandemic, is now free to users.

Phil Spencer, head of XBox said the move was to help families "trying to navigate the need to help their children with distance learning and balance that with taking time to have fun."

He said: "With hundreds of millions of kids at home due to coronavirus-related school closures more kids are going online to spend time with their friends, explore online worlds and learn through play.

"Families are trying to navigate the need to help their children with distance learning and balance that with taking time to have fun.  That’s why we announced today that we are adding a new Education category to the Minecraft Marketplace with free educational content players and parents can download.

"The educational content we’ve curated lets players explore the International Space Station though a partnership with NASA, learn to code with a robot, visit famous Washington D.C. landmarks, find and build 3D fractals, learn what it’s like to be a marine biologist, and so much more. This is launching for free download today and will be available through June 30, 2020."

Mr Specer said added safety measures were also in place to put parents minds at rest.

He added: "With so many turning to gaming, helping everyone stay safer online is also a top priority for us. This is why we provide family settings that help parents choose the screen time limits, content filters, purchase limits, communication and sharing settings that are right for their families.

"While kids may be home from school, family settings can help balance gaming with offline schoolwork and other responsibilities."

Visit here to find out how to download the Minecraft education packs.

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