Q: What age group is Minecraft Club designed for? Our core age range is 8–14 years old. Most children who join are in primary or early secondary school, but some slightly older and we're constantly expanding our server to ensure there's fun and challenges for all ages. At present we can't accomadate under-8's in our clubs. However we do offer one-to-one mentoring in our Minecraft servers for young people age 7 who will be able to join our wider community soon! Q: What kind of child usually joins? The club is designed for children who love Minecraft and want a safe, structured online space to meet others who share their interests. Our members are neurodivergent (autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, and more), and we focus on supporting children who may struggle with confidence, social interactions, or finding like-minded peers. The club is friendly, inclusive, and designed to help children feel that they belong.

Q: Do you have Creative or Survival worlds? We have both! Our server has different zones so children can choose the type of play that suits them best: Creative World – A calm building space where children can focus on creativity without worrying about dying or losing items. A great place to start for younger, anxious, new or highly build-focused players. Try our dedicated Minecraft Creative Club sessions if this is where you'd like to start. Survival World – A more challenging area where players need to gather resources, manage health, and deal with the risks of the game. This is often the world that many of our younger but experienced players are keen to explore. Survival can involve more complex social interactions (as players collaborate or compete) and bigger emotions as players take on more difficult and risky gameplay. Club leaders are on hand to help young people navigate these challenges, building confidence and skills along the way! All Areas Session – In our all-area club sessions children are free to move between Creative and Survival zones. Q: Is there PvP (Player versus Player)? PVP mode enables players to battle (and kill) each other. When done fairly and intentionally it can be really fun, and a true test of gaming skills! PVP can only be done in our Survival World and it’s always optional. Children can only take part in PvP if everyone involved agrees. If kids don't want to PVP, they can keep PVP switched off so other are unable to battle with them. A key rule is that if a child asks another to stop PVPing with them, they must stop immediately. This keeps play fair, respectful, and fun for everyone.

Q: What safeguarding measures are in place? Safety is our top priority. All Minecraft club sessions are led by trained, neurodivergent club leaders who understand the challenges our members may face. Our private server uses a Whitelist function, which ensures that non-members and those not attending clubs are unable to join. All members are required to complete a child and parent i.d. check before gaining full access to our private servers, so we know exactly who's in our safe space. We monitor gameplay live (via zoom audio channels, zoom chat and Minecraft chat), We use a clear set of kindness and respect rules, and step in quickly if issues arise. The server is open from 10am–8pm, but it’s only actively supervised during core club hours (4-7pm Mon-Thu). Outside of these hours members can message Uncommon Community moderators in our dedicated online community to share any worries or tech issues. Parents are always welcome to contact our customer service team on hello@uncommonminds.co.uk to share concerns, server issues or make requests for support. Q: What happens if there’s conflict or unkindness? If problems come up, our leaders step in straight away to help. We support children to understand boundaries, repair relationships, and keep playing in a way that feels safe and respectful for everyone. Our approach is restorative — we focus on helping children learn from situations and move forward positively.

Q: Do children need to use Zoom? Yes. We run all sessions through Zoom alongside Minecraft. Zoom enables us to provide tech support for anyone struggling to get on server, to voice-chat with each other and parents can DM us via Zoom to ask for additional support during sessions. Children can choose whether to have their camera on or off — there’s no pressure either way. Q: How do children talk to others? Children can communicate in two main ways: Voice chat on Zoom – this helps with real-time communication and makes it easier to collaborate. Text chat inside Minecraft – some children prefer typing, and this works well too. Many children will do a combination of voice and text chat. Q. What if my child struggles with reading and writing? Many of our members are dyslexic or have a reading or writing age that differs from their chronological age. For kids worrying about their reading or writing abilities, we always stress that we don't worry about spelling in server - its communication that matters! For children wanting to try using the message function, reading and typing in-game can be great low-demand way of practicing literacy skills. For kids not able read or write easily, we ask that parents contact us in advance of joining club. We'll talk through the adaptations we can make, and may recommend one-to-one mentoring sessions with a club leader before joining club. These sessions will ensure your young person feels confident and supported, they understand the adaptations we'll use to help them and (if possible) they're able to use the 10 simple commands many kids rely on to get round server. Q: Do they need a headset? Headsets are recommended if children are in a busy home environment as they cut down on background noise and help children focus. However, they’re not essential — many children join without one, and if its helpful for parents to listen along then we recommend kids not using headsets!

Q: What do I need to do before the first session? A little preparation helps things run smoothly. Once you've booked your club you'll be sent instructions to join our server. If your child is joining on a Nintendo Switch, XBox or PS5, you’ll need to make a DNS setting change in advance and may need to change your parent safety settings. If you're having trouble with this we recommend you contact customer service on hello@uncommonminds.co.uk and we'll book in a dedicated tech setup session. For all players, we recommend testing your setup a day or two before the first session, so your child feels confident logging in. Q: What if we have technical difficulties? Don’t worry — club leaders are on hand to help. We ask families to log in 15 minutes early for the first session so we can check everything is working. After that, it usually runs smoothly.

Q: Does my child need special knowledge? Not really. Children will need to learn around 10–15 basic commands (like how to teleport or return to spawn), but they usually pick these up quickly. If your child is anxious, completely new to Minecraft and gaming, we can also offer one-to-one mentoring to help them get started. Q: Will you help them if they get stuck? Yes, absolutely. Our leaders are always ready to support, and other players often enjoy helping too. In fact, many friendships in the club begin when one child helps another learn something new on the server.

Q: My child is worried about starting — what can you do? It’s very common for children to feel nervous before their first session, and we take this seriously. We can: Arrange for your child to meet the club leader early (10 minutes before their first session) in Zoom or directly in Minecraft. Offer 1-to-1 Minecraft mentoring first, to gently build confidence before joining a group. Recommend smaller or quieter clubs that tend to suit more anxious players. Ask leaders to give extra attention during the first few weeks, helping your child find others they click with and enjoy playing alongside. Q: Can I let you know if my child struggles? Of course. Parents are always welcome to message us. You can: Send a private message in the Zoom chat during a session if your child is struggling. Contact us after a session to ask for more support. We’ll respond quickly and try to resolve things in the moment, so your child feels supported right away.

Q: What are the options? We offer several different sessions so you can choose the right fit for your child: Minecraft Creative Clubs – Perfect for children who like building without the challenges of Survival. Can be a great space to explore creativity and try collaborating on builds! All Areas – A mixed session where children can move between Creative, Survival, and PvP if they choose. Great if your childs interests change week on week, or if they like to try new things with friends. 2pm sessions – Often quieter and a great option for newcomers who want a gentler start or home-schoolers / out of schoolers focused on friendship building Survival / PVP – Usually attract slightly older participants who are looking for more active play, many of whom are highly skilled players. Not recommended for highly anxious young people! Q: How do I know what’s right for my child? If your child is new to online clubs, we usually suggest starting with a quieter or Creative session. More confident players might prefer the mixed “All Areas” sessions where there’s more variety. You're welcome to try as many different sessions as you like to find the right group. Each group has a different feel, and newer groups are quieter and can be great for anxious young people looking to get started. We’re happy to advise if you’re not sure.

Q: Can we try before committing? Yes. We offer taster sessions for £10. This is a good way for your child to see how the clubs work before deciding. After this you're welcome to try different club nights using our £15 drop-ins, before becoming a member. Q: Do i need to become a member? If your child enjoys the taster, we would recommend you sign up for membership (and complete quick ID check process for safeguarding). Membership gives: Access to the server outside of club times. Access to the Uncommon community chat space where they can stay in touch with friends and request support outside of club times. The ability to book one or more weekly clubs, with discounted rates if you choose multiple sessions. Membership also means your child can keep building on the server between sessions, so their creations persist and grow over time.

Q: What if my child is late to a session? No problem — they can join partway through. A leader will help them get settled in once they arrive. Builds and progress are saved, so they can jump back in quickly. Q: What happens if we have a poor internet connection? You can install Minecraft on a mobile phone, as a backup if your home internet is unstable but you have 4G signal Your child can rejoin as soon as the connection returns. If issues persist, we can reschedule or recommend a quieter session where tech hiccups are easier to manage. Q: What if my child doesn’t get on with another player? Leaders keep a close eye on group dynamics. If there’s tension: Leaders step in to mediate and set boundaries. Children may be guided into different zones or activities. If problems persist we will touch in with parents to explore how best to navigate challenges Parents can always message us privately if concerns continue. Q: What if my child is struggling with the game itself? Leaders provide extra support in-session. We can also offer 1-to-1 mentoring to help them gain skills and confidence before rejoining group clubs. Q: Can we switch to a different club if one isn’t working? Yes — families often try a different session to find the best fit. Quieter or Creative sessions are usually better starting points for children who need more space to settle.