11 Family-Friendly Minecraft Servers Where Your Kid Can Play Safely Online

Your child will be more comfortable playing Minecraft online if they have had some time to themselves or with family members.

Minecraft can be played on a public server to take it to new heights. 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 child develop social skills such as cooperation, compromise, 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. While there are some family-friendly servers for the Pocket Edition and Xbox versions of Minecraft, the vast majority of servers work with the PC/Mac version.

So let's dive in to the world of online, 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. For example, there's often a main survival world, another creative-mode world, and possibly a third world for mini-games. Usually there's a central hub or lobby, with warp points that let you teleport between the different worlds. PvP and PvE: PvP stands for "player vs. player", while PvE stands for "player vs. environment". Most public servers, especially those that are family-friendly, are PvE. This means you fight monsters and not players. Some servers have PvP zones where you can fight others players. (Usually, you don’t lose all of your stuff if a player dies in a PvP area, unlike a survival world. It's for fun. Spawn (or Start): Your player will usually spawn or start at a particular point in the universe, commonly known as "spawn". This usually takes place in, or near, a city center or lobby. To return to your spawn point, you can type the command "spawn" Rules: Nearly all servers have rules regarding what you can and can't do. As you would expect, family-friendly servers will have a lot of strict rules. It is important to read all rules. You will have to go through many signs with the rules when you first join servers. You could be banned temporarily or permanently from the server if you don’t follow the rules. Griefing and grief protection are two major problems on public servers. This is when you destroy other players' buildings or steal their stuff. Many servers use different plugins to stop griefing. These plugins allow for you to lock your doors, chests, furnaces, and doors. You can also claim a parcel of land as yours - this means that no one can make or break blocks within your claim. In addition, griefing is always forbidden in the server rules; griefers are warned and then banned, and most server admins can "roll back" your building to the state it was in before it was griefed. Text chat: Minecraft comes with text chat (the T key), which is the default method your kid can communicate with other Minecraft players. Chat can be public or private (that is, one-to-one). Chat requires reading skills for your child. However, you can still help them if they are playing online. Most family-friendly servers employ automatic filtering to prevent swearing in text chat. As with all online chats, you should remind your child to not give out any personal information. Voice chat: Some servers are linked with voice chat services such as Ventrilo, TeamSpeak or Mumble so that players can communicate with one another while playing. You should be cautious about who your child is talking to and what they are talking about if they allow voice chat. 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, the command /sethome usually sets your homepoint to the point you are currently standing at, while /home teleports your homepoint. These commands will vary from server-to-server, but you'll soon become familiar with them. 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 an 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 reach the main title screen click the Multiplayer button and then click on the Add Server button.

Next, enter a name for your server in the Server Name box. Then, in the Server Address box, enter the server address. This will usually be a domain address such as mc.intercraften.org. Or an IP address such as 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.

It's then as simple as clicking on a server from the list and clicking on the Join Server button.

Let's now examine a few issues that might arise when joining a server.

You can divide public Minecraft servers into two types:

Whitelisted servers are protected by a whitelist - that is, a list of usernames that are allowed to join the server. To join a whitelisted Minecraft server, you will need to apply to be added to the whitelist. This usually involves filling out a form, and then waiting several hours or days. Most servers require you to put in separate applications for yourself and for your kid. Once you're added to the whitelist the server will be opened for you as described above. Non-whitelisted servers don't have a whitelist. This means that anyone can join the server by simply entering the address in their Minecraft client.

It can be difficult to apply for a whitelisted server, especially if you have an eight-year-old who is impatient. However, it provides an additional level of security that all players are known to the administrators.

Server and client versions

One thing to watch out for when joining a server is making sure the version number of your Minecraft client (game) matches the version number of the server. Generally speaking, the versions have to match, or you won't 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 (a handy mod that makes Minecraft run faster) The "Use version" dropdown in the topmost window lets you choose the version.

The list of 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.

All of these servers have been used by me personally. They are listed in no particular order; I think they are all very good, and every single one comes across as being suitable and welcoming for kids, parents and grandparents alike!

Each server will have its own "feel", so it is worth trying out a few to discover which one you like 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. A tutorial is available for those who first join.

The enormous Cubeville world has a big central city, as well as lots of smaller towns and settlements dotted all over the map.

Cubeville also has a clever money system that allows you to earn cash by completing quests; smart automated shops; and an excellent transport network. You can also get land and chest security so you can claim your Cubeville area.

Updated 14 April 2019: Towncraft is now closed. Towncraft staff established Ohanacraft as a family-friendly server. It still adheres strictly to Towncraft's guiding principles.

Updated 10 August 2020: Towncraft is now back online! It still follows the same rules as before, and uses the same server names. Yay!

Towncraft isn't whitelisted so anyone can join. Simply enter play.towncraft.us to your Minecraft client. It also has a TeamSpeak server for voice chat; you can find the IP address on the Towncraft website.

Towncraft is a great world to explore and build. I love that it has a narrative. A meteor has wiped out the world, and it's up to you and your friends on the server to rebuild it. You start the game by choosing a trade to begin with. As you gain more skills in your chosen trade, you unlock new abilities.

Towncraft is very quiet and allows for a more relaxed crafting experience. There are parents and kids playing on the server, and people are generally are friendly and helpful.

The server uses the Zombie Apocalypse plugin; this randomly makes a horde of zombies appear around the player at night, which you must defeat to receive a reward. It's possible for younger players to get a little scared by this, but it's great fun for older kids.

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

Kolgrath, the Towncraft admin, has put together a player guide, as well as a handy parent's guide to Towncraft that is worth a read.

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 has been whitelisted. To join the server, you must first complete 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, along with jobs - such as fisherman, brewer and woodcutter - that you can carry out in order to earn coins. You can use the cash to purchase items in shops or to claim large areas of land to ensure that no one else can grief your builds. If you do get griefed, the moderators are very careful to set everything right again (and ban the offender from the server).

As well as doing stuff with the usual server commands, such as /spawn, /sethome and /home, you can also use the user-friendly Intercraften Menu book (given free when you join) to pick jobs, perform commands and play mini-games.

The Sandlot is a whitelisted, family-friendly Minecraft server that's been running since December 2011. It is operated by a former teacher and has good rules and filters to prevent abusive behavior.

The best thing about The Sandlot is its balance 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.

A really great world for younger kids is Easy Survival. This is Junior Scrabble. Semi-Vanilla Survival can be described as Scrabble. Rather than having to spend ages digging around for resources and items, kids can choose a job (such as farming) to earn money, then spend their money to buy items in a big mall in the centre. This allows for a more relaxed, easy-to-learn gameplay. This is a fantastic idea.

The Sandlot also contains a Creative and a variety of PvP game realms. These include hunger games, spleef, spleef, etc. There is also a skyblock universe (a world that has floating islands and many 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 created by a UK parent for his son. But, it is now open for all. It is not on the whitelist; you can join by adding play.crazypig.net as an extension to your Minecraft client.

CrazyPig uses a "belt" system to rank players by how long they've played 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.

There is also a currency system and a simple virtual marketplace for players to sell and buy items.

CrazyPig has several interconnected worlds, as with most servers. From the lobby, you have the option to choose a world to warp. There are three worlds: the Main World, where you will build your house and spend most your time; the Creative World (you must be Green Belt or higher); a Games World with a huge chess set; and an Extra Hard World if you feel brave.

CrazyPig is not whitelisted but has a friendly, supportive community and uses the Grief Prevention plugin. This plugin stops players from grieving. It also has some pretty good automatic language filters to remove swearing.

CrazyPig's innovative concept of regions is something that is quite unique. The main universe is automatically divided into regions. If you join, you'll automatically be added to the newest region. However, it's possible to warp between different regions. This ensures that every area of the world is not overcrowded. It's a bit confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's a pretty good system!

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 is a busy Australian server that 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 familiar format of a central spawn town, with warps that take you off to other worlds. There are many portals to a standard survival world as well as one to a creative world that has tons of amazing creations. Only donors to the server have the ability to build them.

In the spawn town you'll also find warps to tons of mini-games, including BlockHunt, a maze, parkour, spleef, CTF (capture the flag), survival games, and even 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. The staff is always friendly and helpful.

MineSquish has a very strict application process. Register on the forums, create an account, and then you can apply. Only then will you be eligible to be whitelisted. You may apply on behalf your child, but they are too young for the forums. In this case, you only need to make an introduction post, and show that you have read through the server rules and explained them to your chid.

This long-winded whitelisting process is combined with strict server rules to ensure that players are well vetted before playing. It also fosters a strong community spirit.

The MineSquish server has many family-friendly features. It includes a monster-free starting town, a rail system to make it easy for you to get around and avoid getting stuck, carefully managed towns, as well as lockable chests, doors, furnaces, and doors.

The server does not have anti-griefing protection. This means that your build can be destroyed by other players. However, players are generally well-behaved in the MineSquish community and the server admins are good at catching griefers, so griefing doesn't tend to be a big problem.

There are many worlds to explore.

This is a great MineSquish starter guide, both for parents and 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, whitelisting, and strict filtering to make the server kid-friendly. This allows people to help players of all abilities. 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).

You can access the lobby to a standard survival universe (grief protection included); the SafeCraft World (no hostile mobsters - great for kids); a world where resource gathering is possible and heaps of mini-games such as Block Hunt, TNT Run, Hunger/survival games and Skyblock. The lobby also contains a few spleef areas.

Overall, this is a good server for kids who prefer to play in a safe, welcoming environment with a close-knit community.

Blocklandia, a whitelisted server that is fun and family-friendly, is suitable for all ages. Some players as young as four! The moderators can be very helpful and give you a tour when you first register. They might even offer to build your first home!

The spawn (starting zone) is themed like a large shipyard. Each ship takes the player to a different location. Mainland is your main survival world. Peaceful is your safer mode, with no hostile mobs or falling damage. A hot air balloon can take you to the Creative world.

Blocklandia uses a money system that is based on "shillings". There are plenty of jobs that will earn you shillings, including weaponsmith, digger, builder, sorcerer, alchemist, and even pirate!

The huge library located just outside the shipyard is a nice touch. You can add a book to the library or write one yourself.

Is minecraft still a thing

Although you can't claim land in the survival universes, the server uses the LWC plugin that allows you to lock doors, chests, furnaces, and other items. A detailed and clear set of rules is available (which you need to read when you first connect). Things like TNT and fire are generally forbidden, and moderators are adept at dealing with grief.

If your kid is fairly new to Minecraft and wants to join a helpful, welcoming community then Blocklandia is a good bet.

Famcraft was set up by parents who wanted to make sure that kids had a safe place to play Minecraft online. It's been running for a couple of years and had developed a really good community of players, ranging in age from 5 to 77!

Famcraft is not whitelisted - just add survival.famcraft.com to your Minecraft client, and away you go. When you first join, you'll probably be offered a tour by one of the friendly staff members. There are usually at most two staff members online at any one time.

The main survival server has many great features. The main spawning area is a beautiful wooded seaside village. Stargates (warps), which link off to various locations, can be found in the main spawn area. There are six randomly-changing warps into the wilderness that you can mine and construct; you can also get free farms if your need resources; cities to explore; a Carnival; a sports arena (with optional PvP); mazes; as well as tons of 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.

As well as fairly standard server elements, such as a currency system, a jobs system, and grief prevention with LWC and PreciousStones, Famcraft has some extra touches that give the server its own unique, 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 stream family-friendly music via Mixlr every day. This adds an element to the gameplay. They even host dance parties in an amazing dance area around the world!

Famcraft also has a Mumble server which many players use to chat with each other while playing. A #famcraft IRC channel allows players to chat even when they aren't playing the game. All IRC chat also appears in the regular Minecraft in-game chat window.

You can also find a world with the FTB modpack, which allows you to have more fun and games in addition to the main survival realm.

Famcraft staff is friendly, helpful, and polite. They do everything to ensure that everyone has fun and is safe.

YAMS

YAMS - Yet Another Minecraft Server - is a small family-friendly server run by a dedicated team in the UK. It uses whitelisting. First register for the forums and then submit a request to be whitelisted in the "Introduce Yourself" forum.

What I like most about YAMS are the thoughtfulness and creativity that went into creating a realistic world. There is a central spawn city with a large shopping center, as well as four satellite towns that can be reached via a wide transport network. Each satellite town has its own feel and building code. For example, buildings in one town are made from cobblestone while others have wooden buildings. (To build in a town, you first need to show you can build a nice building in the sandbox within the spawn town.)

As well as the towns, there are tons of sightseeing opportunities dotted around the land, including an impressive coliseum (complete with PvP games), a university (in development), a theatre, a windmill, a maze, an observation tower and lots more. There are many hidden gems to be found 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 griefed or stolen items can be restored by the server administrator.

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

Happy 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. Maybe I'll meet you on one of them!