Games, limits and learning

How do I handle video games, and can games like Minecraft count as learning?

Set limits you will actually keep, put games after schoolwork, and use a game your child loves, like Minecraft, as a way into writing, math and design. A game counts as learning when your child makes or explains something you can see.

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Limits that hold

Decide the rule before the argument: when games happen, for how long, and what comes first. The same rule every day works better than deciding each time. If games are crowding out sleep, outdoor time or friends, tighten it; if not, your rule is probably fine.

Using Minecraft and other games

Ask your child to write instructions for a build, draw a floor plan to scale, budget materials, or research a real place and build it. Their interest does the work, and the writing or math is the lesson.

Clareza's own games

From Grade 3, a child can practice through one of nine optional learning games. Each has a timer, right answers earn coins to build their own world, and answers count toward mastery as they do in a lesson. The games are made to be fun, so some children will want more of them. More at /homeschool-curriculum/homeschool-curriculum-with-learning-games.

Teens who want to make games

Computer Science Principles in Grade 10 teaches Python programming in the browser, for a teen who wants to build programs, not only play them.

What this is not

  • Clareza is not a game-based curriculum. The games are an optional way to practice after a lesson.
  • There are no Minecraft lessons, and video games are not one of the interest themes. The closest is Building things.
  • Clareza does not limit other games or screen time on your devices. The No timers support hides only its own games.

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Before your child starts: what we collect and why

We collect only what it takes to teach your child: the first name and sign-in you choose, their answers and progress, and their chat with Clara (written by Anthropic's AI, read aloud by OpenAI). Nobody trains AI on it or sells it, and you can see or delete it any time. You create your child's account yourself. Paying by card is how you give consent.

Read what we collect and why

Your consent is needed before we collect anything from your child, and we collect nothing without it. You create your child's account yourself; they never sign up alone.

  • What we collect from your child: the first name and sign-in you choose, their answers, time on lessons and progress, and their chat with Clara. Used to run the lessons, build their transcript and show you how they are doing.
  • Who else handles it: Anthropic (an AI company) receives the chat text and the lesson, with your child's first name but no last name or account details, to write Clara's replies. That is how Clara works, so it is part of the service. If you switch on answering out loud for a child, their voice is turned into text on our own server and then discarded; it is never sent to another company. OpenAI turns lesson text and Clara's replies (which can include your child's first name) into the read-aloud voice. Our email provider sends you reports about your child. Nobody trains AI on your child's data, and nobody sells it.
  • Your rights: see everything collected from your child, have it deleted, or stop further collection at any time, from your account or by emailingour support address. If you refuse the AI sharing above, Clara cannot teach, so the service cannot run. Chats are deleted after 30 days.
  • Safety: if your child writes something suggesting they may be hurt or in danger, we email you and Clareza's owner the same day.

Paying by card is how you give consent. Full details, including how long we keep each thing: Privacy Policy (version 2026-10-05).

By continuing you agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

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Questions parents ask

Can Minecraft count as school?

It can, when it produces something you can check, like a written plan, a scale drawing or a report on the build.

How much video game time is too much?

There is no single number. Watch whether games crowd out sleep, schoolwork, outdoor time and people.

Can I turn off Clareza's games?

Yes. The No timers support hides them for that child. It is also part of Math support and Low-pressure mode.

How much screen time is Clareza itself?

From Grade 3, up to about 50 minutes per subject per day. More at /homeschool-curriculum/homeschool-curriculum-screen-time.

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