11 FamilyFriendly 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.

Minecraft on a shared server can make the game more fun. 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.

A majority of servers also feature pre-built worlds with incredible cities and buildings, transport networks, as well as mini-games for your child to explore and enjoy.

Server plugins are used to extend Minecraft. These plugins allow for many additional gameplay features such as money systems, jobs and role-playing elements. These features can be added by any Minecraft server.

You might be thinking: Isn't this all great, but aren’t public servers dangerous for my kid? 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 family-friendly for Minecraft Pocket Edition and Xbox, but most servers work well with the PC/Mac versions.

Without further delay, let's dive right into the world online and family-friendly Minecraft! We'll start by looking at some important concepts related to public Minecraft servers.

The key concepts of a server you should know

These are key concepts and terms you should know before joining a public server.

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. Usually there's a central hub or lobby, with warp points that let you teleport between the different worlds. PvP and PE: PvP stands to "player against player", while PvE stands to "player vs. the environment". Most public servers, especially those that are family-friendly, are PvE. This means you fight monsters and not players. However, some servers have special PvP arenas where you can fight other players. You don't usually lose all your stuff if you die in a pvp arena. It's purely for entertainment. Spawn: Usually your player will spawn (start) at a set point in the world, usually referred to simply as "spawn". This is usually located in or near a central city or area, or in a lobby. You can usually type the command /spawn to return to your spawn point. Rules: Nearly all servers have rules as to what you can and cannot do, and - as you'd imagine - family-friendly servers tend to have a big list of strict rules. Make sure you read all the rules thoroughly. You will have to go through many signs with the rules when you first join servers. 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 servers, but not all, use plugins to stop griefing. Typically these plugins let you lock your chests, doors and furnaces, and you can also claim a patch of land as your own - this means that nobody else can create or break blocks within your claim. Griefing is strictly forbidden according to the server rules. Griefers are warned and banned. Most server admins can "rollback" your building back to the condition it was before it was grieved. Text chat: Minecraft's text chat (the "T" key) is the default way your child can communicate with other players. Chat can be public or private (that is, one-to-one). To chat with your child, they will need to be able to read. minecraft However, it is possible to help them online. Many family-friendly servers use automatic filtering to stop swearing in text chat. As with all online chat, make sure you remind your kid never to give out personal details when chatting. Voice chat: Some servers can link up with voice chat servers like Ventrilo, TeamSpeak, or Mumble to allow players to communicate with each other while they play. If you allow your kid to use voice chat then obviously you want to be careful about who they're talking to, and what they're talking about! Server commands: In order for online play to be successful, you'll need various commands to the servers. To issue a command, press the / (slash), followed by the command name, and sometimes additional text. For example, /sethome sets your home to the place you are currently standing. Alternatively, /home teleports to your home. Although the commands may vary from one server to another, you will soon be able to use them all. 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 are designed to make your game run faster - are usually acceptable.

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. Once you get to the main title screen, click on Multiplayer and then click the Add Server link to add the server.

Enter a name for the server into the Server Name box. Next, type the server address into the Server Addressbox. This will typically be a domain name like mc.intercraften.org or an IP address like 1.2.3.4. Then click Done to add the server to your server list:

Click Add Server to add the server. The Join Server button allows you to connect to your server.

Then, click on a server and click the Join Server button.

Let's take a look at some issues that may arise when you join a server.

You can divide public Minecraft servers into two types:

Whitelisted servers have a whitelist that lists the usernames that can join the server. To join a whitelisted Minecraft server, you will need to apply to be added to the whitelist. This typically involves filling in a form and then waiting a few hours to receive your approval. Most servers require you fill out separate applications for your child as well as for yourself. Once you're added to the whitelist the server will be opened for you as described above. Non-whitelisted Servers do not have whitelists. This means that anyone can enter the server's address using 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.

Versions for client and server

When joining a server, one thing to be aware of is that your Minecraft client (game), must match the version number on the server. If the versions do not match, you will not be able to connect.

Minecraft 1.7.9 is the current version. However, many servers are still running 1.7.2 or 1.6.4. Sometimes the server's website tells you what version they're running, but sometimes the only way to tell is to try it and see. If you get an error message when using the 1.7.9 client, try the 1.7.2 client 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. Next, select the profile that you wish to use from the dropdown list in the launcher and click Play.

It's easy to set up the Minecraft launcher with profiles for different versions. Here, I've created two profiles for 1.7.2 and 1.7.9. OptiFine is a mod that speeds up Minecraft. 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 listed in a particular order. I think all of them are excellent, and each one seems to be suitable and welcoming for children, parents, and grandparents!

Each server is different, so it's worth trying them all to find the one that suits you 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. When you first join, it will provide a detailed tutorial.

Cubeville has a large central area, but there are many smaller towns and settlements scattered throughout the world.

There are many interesting things to see and people to get to know. It is very crowded. To build, you will need to ride the transport system to the edge of town.

Cubeville also features a neat money system with quests to earn cash; clever automated shops; and 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 now been shut down. Towncraft staff established Ohanacraft as a family-friendly server. It still adheres strictly to Towncraft's guiding principles.

Update 10 August 2020: Towncraft is back up and running! It uses the same rules (and has the same server name) as before. Yay!

Towncraft isn’t whitelisted. Anyone can join. All you have to do is enter play.towncraft.us directly into your Minecraft client. It also hosts a TeamSpeak server, which allows for voice chat. You can find its IP address on the Towncraft Website.

Towncraft has a lot more to it than being a simple world to explore or build in. You and your friends can rebuild the world after a meteor destroyed it. You begin the game by selecting a trade such as farmer, hunter, blacksmith, or merchant. As you progress in the trade, new abilities are available.

Towncraft is very quiet and allows for a more relaxed crafting experience. There are children and parents on the server. People are generally friendly and helpful.

The server uses Zombie Apocalypse to randomly make a bunch of zombies appear around players at night. These zombies must be defeated in order to receive a reward. Although younger players may be a bit scared, it's a lot of fun for older children.

Towncraft uses the Grief Prevention plugin to protect your house and contents against griefing by other players.

Kolgrath, Towncraft admin, has created a player guide as well as a handy parent’s guide to Towncraft. It is well worth a look.

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 is whitelisted, so to join you first need to fill out the simple application form.

Intercraften is a huge server with several worlds, including New Survival (the current main world), a CTF (Capture the Flag) world, a peaceful world, a creative world, a mining world, and lots more.

The server has a money system as well as jobs (such as fisherman and brewer) that you can perform to earn coins. 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 are griefed, the moderators will set everything back up again and ban the offender.

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's operated by a former schoolteacher, and has a good set of rules and filters in place to prevent any abusive behaviour.

The Sandlot has a good mix of worlds. Semi-Vanilla Survival is a very similar Minecraft world to the standard, but with Grief Prevention and a virtual currency system tied to gold ingots so players can set up shops.

Easy Survival is a great world for children younger than 5. Semi-Vanilla Survival could be called Scrabble. This is Junior Scramble. Instead of spending hours searching for items and resources, children can choose a job (such a farming job) to make money, and then spend that money to purchase items at a large mall in the centre. This allows for a much more relaxed and enjoyable gameplay style. Great idea.

The Sandlot also includes a Creative World, as well as a number of PvP Game Worlds such as hunger games (based loosely off the movies and books), spleef and others. There's also a skyblock world (a world with floating islands and lots of challenges).

The Lobby allows you to access all of these worlds. This building is based on Hogwarts, the Harry Potter series. This world, along with many others, is beautifully designed to create a fun and welcoming environment for your child.

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

CrazyPig uses "belts" to rank players according to how long they've been on the server. You'll get more belts as you spend more time on the server. This will give you access to some worlds and a greater number "homes" you can warp to.

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

As with most servers, CrazyPig features several interconnected worlds. There's a central lobby area from which you can choose a world to warp 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!

Although it's not whitelisted, CrazyPig has a friendly, helpful community of players, and employs the Grief Prevention plugin to stop players from griefing. It also has very good automatic language filters that eliminate swearing. Minecraft Online

CrazyPig's unique concept of regions is a novel one. The main world is automatically divided up into regions; when you join you're automatically added to the newest region, but you can warp between regions. This ensures each area of the globe doesn't become overcrowded. Although it may seem confusing at first it becomes quite easy once you get the hang.

CrazyPig is a great server if you're looking for a good community, not too many rules, and freedom to build and have fun.

Addstar

Addstar, a busy Australian server, is kid-friendly. It's not whitelisted so anyone can join, but it is heavily moderated and comes with LWC protection (for locking things) and Grief Prevention (for claiming land so it can't be griefed).

Addstar follows the traditional format of a centrally spawned town with warps that can take you to other planets. There are several portals into a fairly standard survival world, as well as a portal to a creative world with tons of amazing creations (only donators to the server can build here).

You'll also find warps for tons of mini-games in the spawn town, including BlockHunt (a maze), parkour, CTF, capture the flag), survival games and 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 is a whitelisted server with a fairly 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. It has all the features that make the game safe for kids to play, such as a monster-free spawn (starting), a rail and road system to make getting around easier and avoid getting lost. Well-managed towns and lockable chests.

The server doesn't offer anti-griefing blocking protection. There is no way to prevent your build from being destroyed by others. However, the MineSquish community is generally very well-behaved and the server administrators are skilled at catching grievers, so griefing shouldn't be a problem.

There are several worlds to explore, including Persephone (the main survival world, where you build your home), a creative freebuild world, a hard-mode Exploration world for resource gathering that's wiped every 2 months, a Skylands (floating islands) world, a Big Build world for building impressive big structures, and more.

Here's a good MineSquish starter book for parents and young children.

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 particularly open for helping kids on the autistic spectrum or with ADHD.

The server has a lively, fun feel with a vibrant main lobby (see the screenshot above).

This server is safe, friendly and will appeal to all ages. Other nice touches include the recognition of birthdays and "Server Champion" awards, which add to the sense community.

From the lobby you can reach a standard survival world (grief protection is included); the SafeCraft world (no hostile mobs - great for littler kids); a world for resource gathering, and heaps of great mini-games including Paintball, Block Hunt, hunger/survival games, TNT Run and Skyblock. The lobby also has a few spleef arenas.

This is a great place for children who want to be safe and have a close-knit environment.

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! minecraft

The spawn is a starting area that can be described as a large shipyard. Each ship takes you on a journey to a different place. Mainland is the main survival zone, while Peaceful has no hostile mobs nor fall damage. A hot air balloon can take you to the Creative world.

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

A nice touch is the enormous library, just off the shipyard. You can write a book and add it to the library, as well as read other people's books.

The server does not allow you to claim land in the survival realms. However, it does use LWC plugin, which allows you to lock chests, doors and furnaces. There are also very clear rules that you must read when you connect. Things like fire and TNT are generally prohibited. The moderators are excellent at resolving griefing issues.

Blocklandia could be a good choice for your child if they are just starting to learn Minecraft.

Famcraft was set up by parents who wanted to make sure that kids had a safe place to play Minecraft 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 will likely offer you a tour when you first sign up. There are usually at the most a few staff online at any given time.

The main survival server is large and has many great features. The main spawn zone is a beautiful wooden village on the seaside, with stargates that connect to various locations on map. Six randomly changing warps into wilderness are available for you to mine and build, as well as free farms if needed. There are also cities to explore, a carnival, a sports stadium (with optional PvP), mazes, and many other attractions. There are many plugins that allow you to make cool stuff with signs or redstone, such a lift, drawbridges iron gates and hidden areas.

Famcraft includes more than the usual server elements such as a currency and jobs system and grief prevention using LWC and PreciousStones. Famcraft also has some unique touches that give it a community feel.

There are many clans you can join to work together on projects, and there are many giant statues of players to show your appreciation for the help of other 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 has a Mumble server, which many players use for voice chat while playing. There is also an #famcraft IRC channel that allows players to chat with each other even if they're not actively playing the game. All IRC chat is also available in the regular Minecraft chat window.

As well as the main survival world, there's also a world that uses the FTB (FeedTheBeast) modpack for extra fun and games.

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; to apply for the whitelist, first register for the forums, then post a whitelist request in the "Introduce and Whitelist Yourself" forum.

What I really love about YAMS, is the thought that has gone into creating a realistic environment. There's a central spawn town with a large shopping mall, and four satellite towns, reached via a comprehensive transport network. Each satellite town has its own unique feel and building code: for example, the buildings in one town are built from cobblestone; another town features wooden buildings, and so on. You must first demonstrate that you can build a nice structure in the sandbox in the spawn town in order to build in it.

There are plenty of sightseeing opportunities around the land. There are also lots of hidden things to find throughout the map.

YAMS does NOT have grief protection or chest locking. However the server has a close-knit group and a set rules that help keep things moving along smoothly. Any stolen or grieved items can be also restored by the server admin.

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

Have fun 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.