PyCraft - Programming with Minecraft

George here.  I've started a blog, http://pycraft.blogspot.com/ about a recently begun experiment with teaching computer programming to our kids.  A couple years ago, I taught Levi and Natalie a little bit, but at some point they stopped asking me to do it with them, and you know how things go.  Now that Sam is reading, I thought it would be fun to try with him.  I was trying to think of a way to make it fun, and it dawned on me that if I could tie it in with Minecraft somehow, that would be pretty motivating.

We've done one lesson now, and he loved it, and all the other kids present wanted their turn as well.  What I've set up lets them interact with the game by writing programs.  They can make lightning strike, build a tower, make an explosion, write a message, and force the time of day to change.  I'll add more as the lessons go on, but this is a start.  So I thought I'd start a blog so people can read about how to get it all set up for themselves.  I'll post the lessons there as well as I get them written, I just haven't done that yet.