Have a child who dreams of travel and adventure on a shoestring budget? Who loves the challenge of managing resources and solving problems in the face of danger (like zombies and starvation!)?
If so, this year’s Global Edition of Online Survival Camp in Minecraft might be the perfect fit.
To see our current programs click here.
Connected Camps brings the fun, creativity, and social experience of summer camp online. Your child can learn to code, use redstone, design fantastical cities, create animations, build games and more in the virtual worlds of Minecraft and Scratch. The best part—join from anywhere! Campers ages 8-13 build, play, and share with instruction from expert tech mentors. View our full schedule of summer camps by clicking here.
New Destinations Weekly
Set in Minecraft’s Survival Mode, the camp drops players into a resource-rich but potentially unforgiving landscape. There they must learn to be resourceful and create the materials they need to both survive and thrive. Where will their food come from? What dangers await them in the mines?
Each week of online Survival Camp features an exciting real-world location, recreated in Minecraft. This includes exotic destinations like the Serengeti Plains of Africa, the Amazon, and the marshes of the Everglades. As the locales change, so do the challenges. A strategy that might have worked while learning to master the Yukon may fall flat in the Himalayas.
As a result, campers must learn to work together—cooperating, communicating, and competing in a healthy way online. Mastering the ability to work in a team remotely is a skill that will serve your child well in the future.
Ready, Set, Survive!
Registering for camp is easy; choosing a destination may be a bit harder. To help you we’ve put together the following travel guide, offering snapshots of each week of this summer’s global expedition survival series. If your child wants to do them all, why not let them? Biomes change weekly and the experience is never the same twice.
Departing June 26: The Serengeti
RESOURCES: HIGH, RESOURCES PLENTIFUL
DANGER: ZOMBIES, SKELETONS, AND SPIDERS, OH MY!
ADVISED: ESTABLISH STRONG COLONY, BUILD ROADS, PLACE TORCHES
Take a trip to the Serengeti Plains of Africa. In Tanzania, serengeti means “where the land goes on forever.” Serengeti National Park is famous for its zebras, giraffes and lions. The Savanna biome in Minecraft is full of food, wood, ores and many other resources. The wide open areas give players plenty of room to build and grow.
Challenges in the Serengeti include:
- Building shelter
- Finding animals and plants for farming
- Mapping out the vast landscape
Departing July 3rd: The Aegean Archipelago
RESOURCES: POOR; MATERIALS LOW
DANGER: BEWARE OPEN SEA, LAND SCARCE
ADVISED: CREATE MAPS, COMPASS, AND LANDMARKS TO NAVIGATE OPEN SEA
The Aegean Archiepelago is made of more than 2000 beautiful islands. For thousands of years people have travelled between the islands on boats. This water world offers plenty of opportunity for exploration and building. This biome necessitates the crafting of a map and compass; otherwise you might not make it home.
Challenges in the Archipelago include:
- Surviving in a world made mostly of water
- Navigating endless oceans (without getting lost!)
- Finding islands to call home
- Excavating ancient ocean temples for treasure
Departing July 10th: The Everglades
RESOURCES: HIGH, RESOURCES PLENTIFUL
DANGER: DARKNESS, UNIQUE MONSTERS PRESENT
ADVISED: AVOID WITCH HUTS, CLEAR WAY FOR FARMS
Delve into the dangerous marshes of the Everglades. Florida’s Everglades are home to exotic and rare wildlife, from panthers to alligators and more. Come prepared, as dangers lurk around every corner.
Challenges in the Everglades include:
- Surviving witch attacks
- Avoiding monsters
- Not getting lost
- Preparing ample space for farming and building
Departing July 17th: The Amazon (Girl’s Only Camp)
RESOURCES: HIGH, RESOURCES PLENTIFUL
DANGER: DARKNESS, OVERGROWN FLOOR MAKES EXPLORATION DIFFICULT
ADVISED: PREVENT MONSTER SPAWNING WITH TORCHES, TRAVEL BY BOAT
Join a special girl’s-only expedition into the depths of the Amazon, the largest rainforest in the world. Stretching across 2 million square miles and nine countries in South America, the Amazon is home to a wide variety of plants and animals, from monkeys to sloths and more. Building can be challenging in the Amazon’s dense jungles, but wood and other resources are abundant.
In the Amazon we will:
- Build a city of treehouses
- Tame ocelots to protect us from monsters
- Search for the elusive Jungle Temple
- Travel the rivers by boat
Departing June 24th: Canyonlands Mesa
RESOURCES: POOR; FOOD AND MATERIALS LOW
DANGER: STARVATION RISK MODERATE
ADVISED: ADMIRE PRETTY RED CLAY, PRIORITIZE FARM BUILDING
Find your home in the Canyonlands Mesa. The Canyonlands National Park in Utah was carved out over 60 million years by the mighty Colorado river. This steep Mesa biome full of deep caverns and crevices will make for a challenging and rewarding home. Watch out for steep cliffs and heights.
In the Canyonlands we will:
- Cultivate crops in an otherwise sparse biome
- Mine unique red clay to create striking buildings
- Search for ores in the natural caves and canyons
Departing July 31st: The Yukon
RESOURCES: LOW; FOOD AND MATERIALS SCARCE
DANGER: STARVATION RISK HIGH
ADVISED: CULTIVATE TREE FARMS, UTILIZE RIVERS AND OCEANS FOR FOOD
Make your way North to look for gold in the land of the midnight sun. The Yukon was made famous by the gold rush, Calvin and Hobbes, and Jack London. The dark, cold winters posed a major challenge for pioneers, explorers and miners. You’ll find plenty of valuable ores, but finding or growing enough food poses a formidable challenge.
Challenges in the Yukon include:
- Growing and hunting for food in a dangerously barren biome
- Building cozy lodges and cabins from spruce trees
- Going ice fishing
- Building fires and crafting torches for light and warmth
Camp runs July 31-August 4, 2017.
Departing August 7th: The Great Victoria Desert
RESOURCES: LOW; FOOD AND MATERIALS SCARCE
DANGER: HUSKS (SUNPROOF ZOMBIES), BOOBY-TRAPPED TEMPLES, EXTREME HEAT
ADVISED: EXPLORE TEMPLES WITH EXTREME CAUTION, CRAFT SANDSTONE FOR STURDY SHELTER
Explore the desolate wilds of Australia in the Great Victoria Desert. Only the hardiest plants and animals can survive in this vast desert. Will you be able to survive among them?
Challenges in the Great Victorian Desert include:
- Crafting useful blocks from fragile sand
- Excavating desert temples, without triggering the traps!
- Finding water for crops and fishing
- Building pyramids and castles out of sandstone
Departing August 14th: The Himalayas
RESOURCES: LOW; FOOD AND MATERIALS SCARCE
DANGER: CLIFFS AND LONG DROPS, DARKNESS
ADVISED: BUILD BRIDGES, PREVENT MONSTER SPAWNING WITH TORCHES, BUILD FARMS
Take a trip to Asia to visit the tallest mountain range in the world, the Himalayas. Home to the towering Mount Everest, the treacherous peaks of the Himalayas will be the final stop in our expedition. If you don’t watch your step they might be your final stop too!
In the Himalayas, we will:
- Hike the tallest mountains
- Build towns on the steep slopes and mountaintops.
- Herd sheep for wool and mutton
Choose Your Destination Now
Click here to register for one or more weeks of camp, and to see the full Survival Camp schedule.
By Catherine Fox and Greg Livingston