10 Best Minecraft Servers for Kids and Why (2023)

Knowing how to spot kid-friendly Minecraft servers is an important parent superpower to have. Not all Minecraft servers are equal when it comes to providing a positive environment for younger players.

Mimi and I covered the benefits of dropping screen time rules and of letting your kids play online with friends. Now I want to get practical, and help you find a server that is right for your family.

I’ll start with a quick overview of what I looked for in a server before sharing my picks for the 10 best Minecraft servers for kids.

Take the Leap

Allowing your child to join an online Minecraft server may feel scary. You might worry about their exposure to bad language, bad behavior, griefing, and unfamiliar players. These are all valid concerns but there are a few things you can do to mitigate the risks and increase the chances of your child having a great experience.

Check for Readiness

First, you’ll want to check your child for readiness. Are they ready for multiplayer Minecraft? Here’s a list of basic skills they’ll need to participate and have fun:

• Keyboarding: Your child will need some keyboarding skills to use Minecraft’s built-in text chat to communicate with other players and use text commands like /w (whisper) and /spawn (return to start).
• Reading: They will need some reading ability to participate in chat, although you can help them if you’re playing online too.
• Basic knowledge of Minecraft: Your child will benefit from spending some time playing Minecraft on their own prior to joining a server. Knowing how to move around, how to do basic crafting, and how to build simple structures is probably enough. This will give them a foundation to build on as they learn the new social skills that come with multiplayer—learning how to communicate, collaborate, and create with other players.

Find a Server

Second, you’ll want to find a server that is safe and kid-friendly for them to play on.

I did the research and have 10 servers to recommend, based on the following three criteria: A clear code of conduct, “safelisting,” and full moderation. There are a ton of Minecraft servers out there and you might even want to start your own.

Use this simple checklist to find ones that work for your family, or to design a server community of your own.

Kid-Friendly Minecraft Server Checklist

Clear code of conduct

The culture of a server reflects the values of the person or group running it. You want to find Minecraft server administrators that care about their servers being kid-safe, so you won’t feel like you have to hover all the time.

Three things to consider:

• Does the server have a code of conduct with kid-friendly policies? Look for policies related to griefing, the use of hurtful, disrespectful or foul language, and the sharing of private information.
• Does the code explain what happens if a member violates it? Are they banned immediately or is there an effort to educate the kids or parents about appropriate behavior?
• Does the language in the code of conduct express values you care about as a parent? Connected Camps’ Code of Conduct was written by our co-founders, who are Minecraft enthusiasts, educators, and parents. It includes values of friendliness, inclusion, and lending a helping hand to new players. Look for values that align with your own.

Review their code of conduct and understand the process for reporting any incidents. If you have questions about the kid friendliness of a server contact the server administrator and ask. If they respond quickly this is a good sign that if an incident does arise, it will be addressed in a timely manner.

Once you choose a server read through the rules and code of conduct together with your child. Discuss the policies and ask questions, such as: “Do you think these are good rules ?” “Are you allowed to take items from other players on this server?” “Can you give me an example of how you would ask for help if you needed it?”

Players are “safelisted”

One of the scariest parts of taking the step to let your child onto a public Minecraft server is not knowing who else will be on the server. If it is important to you that some vetting processes be in place, look for “safelisted” servers.

On safelisted servers players have to be approved to play and the server administrator knows who is on the list. This typically involves completing and submitting a form with your child’s Minecraft username, and verifying that you’re a human and not a bot.

Once you receive notice that your child has been added to the safelist, they will be able to login under the approved username. Approval can take a few days so plan accordingly if your Minecrafter is itching to log on.

Safelisted Minecraft servers often require the email of a parent, which can add another layer of security.

If you’re ok with non-safelisted servers (there are several on our “best of” list of kid-friendly servers below) you should still look into who is on the server. Does the server cater to kids and families? Do they mention any particular age range in their descriptions of their server or use terms like “kid-friendly,” or “family-friendly?”

While some kids thrive in public servers with players of all ages, many do best at least initially, on servers where most of the other players are kids, too.

Always moderated

Look for servers that advertise kid-friendly, safe moderation. Moderated servers have members of their staff online monitoring the server for griefing and other unwanted behavior, as well as providing support for new or struggling players. Know who is moderating the server: is it moderated by parents, by trained staff, bots, or by other players? Is the server always moderated or only at certain times?

Knowing how a server handles moderation can help you pick a server that is a good fit for your family.

Last Thoughts

Once you’ve made the leap to an online server there are a few things you can do to engage your child and keep tabs on their multiplayer play.

Be on the alert and communicate with your child about their play.

Talk to your child about what happens on the server, and be on the alert for any issues that might arise in their play. Make sure your child knows not to ask for or share personal information with another player. This includes information like their full name, their address, the school they go to, and their phone number.

It is always ok for you to alert the server administrator if another player asks your child for this kind of information.

You can also ask questions like, “What did you do on the server today?”, “Did you make new friends?”, “What was your favorite part?”. While they may not always answer, the questions open a dialogue with your kids about their play and give them a chance to show off what they built.

Ask specifically about griefing incidents: what happened, why they think it happened, and how they might respond.

Griefing does occur but on kid-friendly servers many disputes between players are due to misunderstandings, differences in perspective, and inexperience. For example, if your child is on a PvP server it is within the rules of the game to take items from other players. If your child doesn’t understand the rules they will think they’ve been griefed.

In addition, many players new to multiplayer servers are often confused about how to collaborate with others. They might destroy someone else’s property in an attempt to “help” them build.

Talking through any incidents will help your child better understand how to be a good community member and how to recognize when true griefing occurs. Referring back to the server’s code of conduct can be useful.

It is possible that they might be at fault in a griefing incident and dealing with this conflict in a timely and healthy way can be a really good learning experience for a young player. The forums are always a good place for your child to post questions about conduct on the server and to talk through their experiences with other players.

Play together if you can.

While it is very likely that your child is better at Minecraft than you are, playing with your kids will give you an idea of what the server environment and community of players is like. If the server doesn’t allow adults on it—some kid-oriented servers don’t—then have your kids be in-room with you. That will allow you to communicate about things that are going on in the game. And you may learn a thing or two about why your child loves Minecraft so much!

10 Kid-friendly Minecraft Servers to Ignite your Kid’s Social Superpowers

Now that you have some tools in your back pocket to help you evaluate a server, here’s my “best-of” list. It includes ten different servers for the PC/Mac editions of Minecraft that are kid-friendly, pro-social, and fun to play in.

Each server has a special vibe so you might want to try a few out before settling in. Your kid’s interests will likely change as they get to know the ins and outs of the different modes of play so keep this list handy.

I’ll update it as I become aware of any new kid-friendly servers that make the cut!

Autcraft

Whitelisted: Yes
Voice chat: No
Rules: Click here for their code of conduct.

Why we love it: Autcraft is a Minecraft server specially created for children on the autism spectrum and their families. The server is moderated and run by adults that include autistics, parents of autistic children, or a family member of someone with autism. From the testimonials of families on the server it is clear that their children are thriving. The server currently has over 7,000 players on the whitelist with an average of 1,200 unique players on the server each month.

Blocklandia

Whitelisted: Yes
Voice chat: No
Rules: Click here for their code of conduct.

Why we love it: The library! Blocklandia has a huge library that any player can add to by writing their own book, or use by reading books written by other players. This server welcomes really young players (under the age of 6) and offers a guided tour for anyone new to the server. They offer a main survival world and a mode with no hostile mobs (Peaceful). They also have a Creative world and like many of the servers reviewed here, allow kids to take on jobs to earn in-game currency. Players are able to lock their chests and secure belongings and they have a ticket system in place for investigating griefing complaints. This is a great starter server for young players and for parents looking for a really supportive play environment for their kids.

CrazyPig

Whitelisted: No
Voice chat: No
Rules: Click here for their code of conduct.
Server: play.crazypig.net

Why we love it: Like several of the servers on our list CrazyPig is organized around a bunch of different interconnected worlds, including easy, hard, and extra hard survival worlds, a mini game world, and a creative mode world where kids are assigned one or more “plots” to build in. They have a unique ranking system, where kids can earn colored belts based on hours of play. As they climb the ranks they earn access to special perks, like limited use of an item or a special server command. They have an active forum where kids can go to ask and answer questions, which gives them a chance to learn from others and show off what they know.

Cubeville

Whitelisted: No
Voice chat: Yes (They have a Mumble server.)
Rules: Click here for their code of conduct.
Server: cubeville.org

Why we love it: Cubeville features both a monetary system with quests that allows players to earn cash and an amazing transport network, which you’ll have to use to visit the edges of its enormous map. They have a land and chest protection feature so kids can claim a section of the map as their own and can even apply to have one of their builds designated with landmark status. New players can get the lay of the land via a tutorial when they first join, which makes entry into the server painless and easy. The moderators are helpful, and many are the parents are children who play on the server.

Famcraft

Whitelisted: No
Voice chat: Yes (a Mumble server and a #famcraft IRC channel)
Rules: Click here for their code of conduct.
Server: survival.famcraft.com

Why we love it: Famcraft makes sure kids feel welcome on their server a couple of different ways. They are greeted by staff when they first log in, can go on a tour of the server. During the tour they can ask questions about how to use the Mumble server, which incorporates voice chat, or how to join one of the server’s famous dance parties. Kids can join a clan to work on projects with other players, take a job, or earn currency. The server admins instituted the server’s currency system to help kids learn about earning money, buying and selling items, and most notably, negotiating good prices! While the server has a lot of rules it’s clear the moderators care a lot about keeping the server fun and safe for kids.

Intercraften

Whitelisted: Yes
Voice chat: No
Rules: Click here for their code of conduct.

Why we love it: Variety, variety, variety! Intercraften is a huge server sporting several different worlds, from the competitive Capture the Flag and Survival worlds to the more collaborative Peaceful, Creative, and Mining worlds. Your child can take on jobs in the server (fisherman, woodcutter, brewer, for example) and earn coins in-game for all their hard work. Coins can be used to buy stuff in shops and also to claim pieces of land, which keeps others players from building on your child’s plot. We love the Intercraften Menu book (given free when your child joins) to pick jobs, perform commands, and play mini-games.

Kid Club

Whitelisted: Yes
Voice chat: No
Rules: Click here for our code of conduct.

Why we love it: Kid Club is Connected Camps very own server and we think it’s one of the best kid-friendly Minecraft servers around for one main reason: our moderators. They come from top university programs in computer science, game development, and design and share a passion for all things Minecraft. Their sole goal is to help your child connect to their interests while nurturing a lifelong passion for tech. Our server, like the others on this list, is open year round. Kids can play in a welcoming and friendly server while collaborating with others to solve build challenges, play mini games. or barter and trade in our epic Survival world.

Minesquish

Whitelisted: Yes
Voice chat: Yes (Discord)
Rules: Click here for their code of conduct.

Why we love it: Indiesquish is a community of gamers that run the super family-friendly Minecraft server Minesquish. It features several worlds, including a main world where players can claim plots to build their permanent homes, and an Exploration world where players can gather resources (its map resets every two months). The server is friendly to children on the autism spectrum and admins work closely with those parents during server resets to minimize the impact on their children. We also love their Ludum Dare game jam, a 48/72 hour challenge in which players have to build a game from the ground up around a specific theme. Completed games are included on their server, so anyone can play them!

The Sandlot

Whitelisted: Yes
Voice chat: No
Rules: Click here for their code of conduct.

Why we love it: Almost all servers have some kind of landing zone where players go when they first log in to the server (sometimes called “lobbies”) and The Sandlot’s Harry Potter-inspired lobby is one of the most beautiful, welcoming, and imaginative. In addition to great design throughout the server includes worlds specifically created for younger players. Easy Survival let’s kids take on roles to earn coins, which they can then use to buy items, rather than spending all their time digging for resources (which can be taxing on the little one’s attention spans!). They also have lots of worlds for older kids, including Creative, PvP, mini games and even a world loosely inspired by the Hunger Games series.

Ohanacraft

Whitelisted: No
Voice chat: Yes (Discord)
Rules: Click here for their code of conduct
Server: play.ohanacraft.us

Why we love it:
Ohanacraft (created by former staff members of Towncraft) is a truly family-friendly server committed to supporting all kids (their motto: “Leave no player behind.”). They have a public discord server for their players and also a modded server for those who like to play with mods. We love their approach to player and staff ranks: any player can earn a rank based on time spent on the server, including leveling up from mere Visitor to Homesteader. They have an active blog that highlights the various activities of kids on the server, including the outcome of their Bedwars Build Competition. While small, Ohanacraft is managed by a stellar and committed staff and we are excited to see them grow!

Up Next

So that’s it, my picks for the best Minecraft servers for kids. Hopefully this post was useful and if there is more you’d like to know about how to evaluate a server, post a comment and let me know.

My next post will be on how to support and engage your child once they go online, including some tips for keeping tabs on their online play. In the meantime, if need a Minecraft refresher, check out our Parent’s Guide to Minecraft.

A little lingo can go a long way!