It can be thrilling to see an imaginary world from a book or game come to life before our eyes. Before A Minecraft Movie began, the elementary boys seated in front of me talked excitedly about what they expected to happen. They became even more animated when key characters appeared on screen, repeating catch phrases and pointing out popular game features.
The Minecraft world encourages imagination, creativity, and innovation. Watch the movie with children ages 9+ and choose one or more of the following activities to explore these themes further.
Imagining an ideal world. The Overworld is a realm of imagination and creativity. If you can think it, you can create it! Invite children to create an image of their ideal world. Ask: What are some values that you would want to shape your ideal world? How would you depict and encourage these values in your world? Encourage children to tell stories about their world and its values as they draw.
Winning at life. Garrett offers to teach Hank how to be a ‘winner’ and then later reflects that his business failures and lack of friends make him a ‘loser’. Ask children: What do you think it means to be a winner? Take turns acting out different scenarios that demonstrate winning at life. Encourage kids to share why they consider something a life win rather than a life loss.
Inventing helpful tools. Hank uses material from the Overworld and random items from his pockets to create a Tater Tot blaster, which helps him battle the pig invaders. Invite children to identify a social problem (e.g., climate change, bullying, discrimination) that concerns them. Then ask: What could we create from things around us that might help us address this problem? Encourage them to use their imaginations to come up with fantastical yet useful items for making a difference in the world.
Supporting innovative risks. When Hank’s jetpack hits a local potato factory, everyone laughs at him and he is suspended from school. Hank wants to give up on imagining and creating, but Steve tells him it is easier to make fun of new creative things than it is to create them. Invite children to pretend they are students at Hank’s school. Ask: What would you say to Hank after his jet pack failed? What advice might you give him? Create a list of supportive words and advice as a reminder to encourage one another to take innovative risks.
Singing about good things. Throughout the movie, Steve creates songs about things he loves, like Lava Chicken and his dog, Dennis. Encourage children to write their own songs celebrating what they love. Suggest that they use a song or chorus they like and change the words to showcase their own favorite things and experiences. Perform your songs for each other when you’re done.
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