Poland is using a country-wide Minecraft sever to encourage kids to stay home
Since their schools are closed, Polish kids are being encouraged to learn and socialise at home using Minecraft.
Jessica Simmonds 
Image via Mojang
With coronavirus still spreading throughout Europe, most countries have encouraged people to stay inside and are coming up with new ways for those under lockdown to entertain themselves. Poland has taken this one step further after creating a public Minecraft server to encourage kids, and perhaps adults, to do their socializing online.
Grarantanna, a learning hub launched by the Polish government, contains the Minecraft server among other fun, educational activities. These include game jam, online TTRPG sessions, and webinars and quizzes on Polish history and geography, with prizes for the top quizzers.
Poland was one of the first countries to shut all of its schools, cinemas, and museums on March 11, and it introduced thorough border checks on the same day. Now, it has provided the children that are stuck at home with something productive to do. “This is neither a vacation nor a holiday,” Grarantanna said.
Students from elementary school right up to college are encouraged to log in and help build the digital world. Every player in the server gets a 60×60 plot to build whatever their imagination comes up with, and the best plots will be showcased and rewarded on March 30.
It is not just Polish parents and kids that can take advantage of the site, either. People from all over the world can use the translated site to get some ideas on how to entertain housebound children.
Grarantanna was created by Neverlight Association, a Polish gaming organisation which is involved with esports, gaming tournaments, and board game publishing.
About the author
