NEWS$show=/search/label/news

Here's where you'll find all the latest news about technology for children. We love to follow cool new inventions on Kickstarter and we hunt out all the latest announcements about tech toys and gadgets for the coming Christmas holidays. You'll also get our take on children's technology stories in the media.

REVIEWS$show=/search/label/review

Our kids technology product reviews are intended to help you work out whether a toy, gadget or kit is a good fit for your child or family. There's lots of cool stuff available, but is it the right choice for the child or teenager that you are buying for? We'll help you make the right choices and get the best value for money.

GIFT GUIDES$show=/search/label/gift%20guide

Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends assemble. We create gift lists to help you make good choices for kids technology which helps them develop the right skills for the future. We research the best in Coding Toys and Games, Making / Craft Tools and Kits, STEM/STEAM related gifts, Programmable Robots, Electronics Kits and Gadgets for Tech Age Kids and Teens.

PROJECTS$show=/search/label/project

Get crafty with technology. Here we'll post all our ideas and projects using technology to get creative and making with kids. You'll find anything from making a lemon battery to a glow-in-the-dark Minecraft sword. Our projects are tried and tested on our own kids or at events we run, so we are sure you can have a go at home with your kids. Some of our projects use specific tech gadgets which we provide links for you to purchase.

STEM$show=/search/label/stem

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. In recent years there is an increased focus in these areas of study. We like to include Art and Design too, so we often talk about STEAM (A stands for Art). At Tech Age Kids we believe Coding is a new literacy and children need to understand how technology works, practice making skills and grow in their curiosity to make a better future for us all.

CODING$show=/search/label/coding

Coding is increasingly being recognised as an important skill for children to learn. Some will learn to code at school or at a coding club, but it's brilliant if they get support at home too.

ELECTRONICS$show=/search/label/electronics

We think it's really important for kids to get hands-on with electronics and learn how to make circuits and write code to control hardware. Younger kids can start with conductive playdough. For kids who like to combine craft and tech, littleBits are fab. And we love SAM Labs wireless electronics components for making it easy for kids to make Internet of Things inventions. Lots of electronics kits for kids have support for the Arduino microprocessor environment. The DuinoKit Jr is one of our favourites. Arduino is a fab skill for older kids and teens to develop.

ROBOTICS$show=/search/label/robotics

We love robots at Tech Age Kids, especially programmable ones. We've got lots of them and write reviews and projects that use them. Our programmable robots for kids buying guide is a good place to start if you're not sure what's available. Roby the mBot Meccano robot dog is one of our popular projects and has been with us to lots of events. Our Ozobot LEGO trailer is fab for kids who love LEGO and robots.

MAKING AND CRAFT$show=/search/label/making

We're advocates of the creative use of technology, but this needs to be balanced with developing physical skills such as papercraft, woodwork, clay modelling, technical drawing and soldering. If children don't develop these skills as they grow up then physical making projects can become frustrating rather than fun. The Maker Community uses the term 'making' as a broad term to include all sorts of artisan skills or craft activities. Being able to make things can lead to life-long hobbies or even careers. It's a great feeling to be able to take a project from an idea in your head to a real object that does something. We're particularly interested to explore products that combine maker skills with tech skills such as electronics but others focus purely on the physical making skills that are still important to modern making.

Screenless Minecraft Activity with Papercraft



Minecraft is a huge brand and very popular among kids of all ages.  My boys (ages 5, 7 & 15) love it and I am perfectly happy for them to play Minecraft as it is a very creative game.

But sometimes I like them not to play on screens and when that is the case, they seem to still use Minecraft in their imaginative play.  We discovered Minecraft Papercrafts. I would definitely recommend them as a screenless Minecraft activity.  The boxy nature of Minecraft makes it perfect for creating the worlds using cardboard boxes and figures.


There are lots of other merchanise available for Minecraft fans, ranging from books to plastic figurines, life-size foam weapons (check out our awesome glow-in-the-dark Minecraft Diamond Sword) and stationary.

The game is hugely popular so if your 8 year old doesn't play Minecraft you may want to read our Guide for Concerned Parents.


Minecraft Papercraft Snow Biome


Snow BiomeMinecraft Biomes are different terrains and regions in the Minecraft world with varying geographical features.  Some biomes include snow, savannah, forest, etc.  The Overworld is the regular player world and includes a wide range of biomes, there are also The Nether and The End (Enderworld) worlds.




The Papercraft series comes in a variety of biomes.  We got the Snow Biome, which contained a variety of block types - ice, snow, snowcapped rock and wood. The 48-piece set includes the Wolf and Snowman.

  • More Minecraft Papercraft Sets available on Amazon USA UK

Construction

Snow Biome box
The set is recommended for 6+ and I felt it was about right. My nearly 5 year old could make the blocks with some assistance, whilst my 7 year old easily constructed them.  The figures were a little more fiddly, especially the Wolf with smaller parts.  Once constructed the cardboard blocks and figures are surprisingly sturdy. The pack came with some tape (Minecraft Mortar) but we didn't need it to build the pieces.

I would recommend some adult / big kid help to press the templates out of the cardboard sheets. My son tore a piece of the Wolf when he tried to press out the shape, but we were able to fix it using the Minecraft Mortar.

It took us a good 30 min to build the whole set and ended up with a satisfactory number of blocks to make different layouts.



My son also got some plastic Minecraft figures and blocks, and although it is not to the same scale, he enjoyed using them in his game with the Papercraft set.

There are lots of other sets available and I think they make fantastic birthday / Christmas gifts for a young minecraft fan. Other options include:

  • Hostile Mobs
  • Animal Mobs
  • Shelter Set
  • Minecart Set
  • Overworld Set

More Articles about Minecraft


24 days of Scratch coding book cover and cute penguin
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Tech Age Kids | Technology for Children: Screenless Minecraft Activity with Papercraft
Screenless Minecraft Activity with Papercraft
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Tech Age Kids | Technology for Children
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