Minecrafttook the world by storm when it first launched in 2009. The game was like a virtual version of LEGOs, giving players a playground of blocks to arrange however they wanted and create anything from their imagination. The game was especially popular among young kids, and it wasn’t long before the education sector realized that it could harness the game’s appeal to the younger generation as an educational tool.
The first attempts to useMinecraftfor educational purposes were fairly simple, using the existing assets to create experiences designed to teach everything from ecology to coding. The world of educationalMinecraftcreations has expanded since then, and currently includesmany DLCs that teach through new content, assets, quests, and more. The best educational add-ons today will teach and entertain fans of any age.
10TNT Squad
Learn 56 Words In Three Languages
Created by Lifeboat, theTNT Squadadd-on is a hands-on way to learn new words in a foreign language. The mod comes in three languages—French, German, and Spanish—andteaches 56 words in each language through interactive activities. Learn numbers, colors, and everyday vocabulary through 12 entertaining levels that require players to pick out the correct words to stop the imminent explosion and save the day.
The DLC even incorporates spaced repetition,a tried-and-true language learning method that shows you words at increasingly longer intervals to help cement them into your long-term memory. Though these educational add-ons are simple, they’re an effective way to jump into language learning as a complete beginner.
9The Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel
Explore A Real-World Disaster Prevention Center
The name of this content pack may not sound very interesting, but the play pack is actually afascinating look at the inner workings of city infrastructure.Created by the Edogawa River Office, thisMinecraftbuild is a recreation of the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel, an underground flood control facility located in Edogawa, Japan.
Sometimes called an underground river or even a temple or shrine, thisincredible feat of engineering can be freely exploredthrough the officialMinecraftreplica, which comes complete with pump operation and mud cleaning simulations. The DLC is intended to teach disaster prevention “in a fun way” and let players experience firsthand the importance of facilities like this one. This pack can be downloaded directly from theEdogawa River Office website, which unfortunately means it’s PC-only, and a trailer is available on theEdogawa River Office YouTube channel.
8Safari World
Meet And Photograph Over 35 New Animals
Minecraftalready has many animals, but theSafari WorldDLC adds even more wildlife to discover. Created by Cyclone, thisfree add-on packincludes 35 animals and the biomes they reside in,offering players a unique opportunity to meet these creatures in their home habitats. Hop on the included safari bus or buggy and head out to the fully realized safari where you can get up close and personal with cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, and many other majestic beasts.
Document every encounter with the camera included in the DLC and study them toPlus, every animal includes an audio file that shares some interesting real-world facts about it. Enter creative mode to terraform the safari or place your own animals down in thisinteractive science learning experience.
7Planet Earth III
Relive The Popular Documentary And See The World From A New Perspective
Created in collaboration with the BBC, the freePlanet Earth IIIDLC is aMinecraftrecreation of the popularPlanet Earthdocumentary series.This educational add-on lets you see the world from theperspectives of the different animalsand insects that inhabit our earth. In this DLC, players are invited to experience what it’s like to be a cape fur seal, arctic wolf, African leopard, bee, and many others.
The content pack includes recreations of real-world locations and biomes like the Arctic tundra and the Okavango Delta. Each critter faces its own challenges, whether it’s finding food or surviving in a harsh environment, hunting or being hunted. Earn rewards for surviving, andlearn about the lives of the animals featured inPlanet Earth 3through their own eyes.
6Expo 2020 Dubai
Explore A To-Scale Recreation Of The World Expo
The first World Expo took place in London in 1851 and set the stage for the expos that followed. The exhibit was meant to highlight the most groundbreaking current scientific, technological, and architectural advancements, and many more have followed in the years since. Although the 2020 World Expo had to be postponed due to the global pandemic, itarrived in Dubai—and on Minecraft Marketplace—in 2021 with much fanfare.
Fans who tuned in toMinecraftfor the opening ceremony could join other players from around the world, go on limited-time treasure hunts, and watch fireworks in-game.
The freeExpo 2020 DubaiDLC was developed by Blockworks and lovingly recreates the entire World Expo grounds to scale. The digital space serves as a time capsule to the event, letting playersexplore the marvels featured in the event with the help of some friendly quest-granting robots. The Expo’s focus was mobility and sustainability, and players can experience the event and all it had to offer through the game.
5Plants
Cultivate A Cozy Garden While Learning About Plants
The simply namedPlantsDLC by CubeCraft does exactly what it says on the tin, letting playerscreate a garden full of foliage. The educationalMinecraftadd-onhits the cozy gaming sweet spot with beautiful aesthetics,making this one a visual delight to play.Fans of cozy gameswho would like to learn as they game might give this free DLC a try.
The game, which has a trailer on theCubeCraftYouTube channel, lets playersgrow and nurture more than 14 types of plants and trees.Guided by the Gardener, this DLC teaches the names of plant parts and the science behind how plants grow. The content pack includes voice acting and cutscenes, as well as several challenges and a quiz to test your understanding of the marvels growing all around you.
4Lumen: City Challenge
Build A Healthy, Thriving City
There aremany city-building simulatorsin the world of games, but not many focus on the realities of more people leading to more unhealthy living conditions. The freeMinecraftDLCLumen: City Challenge,created by Blockworks, challenges players tocreate a city without compromising on its residents' health and well-being.
“[This DLC] is a great way to learn about how making good decisions about energy sources can affect both the environment and city dwellers.”
The DLC allows players todesign, build, and manage a functioning citywhile keeping pollution to a minimum—a task that becomes increasingly more difficult the more people and buildings are added to the city, just like in the real world. The DLC was created in collaboration with EIT InnoEnergy, a group dedicated to funding clean living tech startups, and is a great way to learn about how making good decisions about energy sources can affect both the environment and city dwellers.
3Our Place In Space
Travel Forward Into Space And Back In Time
Our Place in Spaceby The Wizard and Wyld creates an interesting analogy of distance and time bycombining space travel with time travel.The experience takes players to the stars and planets in our solar system, then sends them back in time the same number of years that it took to travel to the planet. Since the human mind isn’t very good at processing large numbers, this excellent DLC puts time and distance into perspective.
This DLC is slightly more child-oriented than the rest on this list, but if you enjoy it, then you might also like the other creations from The Wizard and Wyld in theMinecraftMarketplace. The studio has several morecreative experiments in educationabout everything from learning how blood works inOperation Aortato exploring alternative energy sources inOffshore Wind Power Challenge,and beyond.
2Aotearoa New Zealand
Explore Real-World New Zealand Landmarks And People
TheMinecraftmovie has several tie-in DLCs on the Marketplace, most of which featurefun cosmetic content.Aotearoa New Zealandis an entirely different kind of DLC that celebrates not the movie but rather the location where it was filmed. The content packfeatures real-world locations in the gorgeous landscapes of New Zealand, or Aotearoaas it’s known by the indigenous Māori people.
The DLC was made in collaboration with Tourism New Zealand and Warner Bros', and it recreates six famous landmarks: Waitomo Caves, Rotorua, Kāpiti Island, Abel Tasman, Tekapo, and Doubtful Sound. As players adventure around the world, they’re invited to partake in interactive minigames and activities that they could also do in real life. The DLCincludes educational information about Māori culture, customs, and taonga (treasures),as well as NPC versions of real people.
1James Webb Space Telescope Challenge
A “Cosmic Adventure” Into The Mysteries Of Space
In 2021, NASA launched the James Webb Space Telescope, which has beenproviding the world with incredible, never-before-seen images of space ever since.The freeJames Webb Space Telescope Challenge, created in collaboration with NASA, lets players experience being part of the team of scientists and astronauts that use the information gathered by the new telescope.
The DLC asks players to take part in every aspect of running the telescope, like studying star formations and galaxies, learning about planets, and talking with NASA scientists about space and beyond. Players can then get even more hands-on by designing their own solar system using all the information they’ve learned. The add-on content also teaches about the telescope itself through interactive tutorials that explain how it works through the delightfully versatile world ofMinecraft.
Source: Minecraft Marketplace (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9)Edogawa River Office website,Edogawa River Office YouTube channel,CubeCraft/YouTube
