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Sign up for camp by June 8th: $65 off 2nd wk, $150 off 3rd wk or more. Plus, refer new campers & earn up to $7,500!

SAVE UP TO $150 ON IN-PERSON CAMPS

Enroll in summer camp by June 8th, 2026 and

Save $65/wk on your child’s 2nd week of camp.
Save $150/wk on each additional week of camp for your child (3rd week, 4th week, 5th week, etc.).

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REFER FRIENDS AND EARN UP TO $7,500. YOUR REFERRALS WILL SAVE, TOO

(1) Earn $50 for each new camper that you refer to summer camp. Earn up to $7,000 (140 referrals max) as cash back or an account credit for Summer 2027, your choice! The top 3 referrers for the 2026 season will also receive an additional $500 bonus!

(2) Your referrals will save $50 per new camper when signing up for summer camp.

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  • This promotion only applies to five day camp weeks where camp is in session on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Four day camp weeks (e.g. June 29-July 2, no 3rd) are excluded from this promotion as camp is not in session on July 3rd at some locations and tuition is already reduced for this week.
  • This promotion is tallied on a per-camper basis.
  • The tuition listed on our camp calendars does not include this discount. This discount will automatically apply in your cart at checkout.
  • This promotion applies to camps taking place at our physical camp locations.
  • This promotion does not apply retroactively. Therefore, this promotion will not apply to any camp week that was booked while this promotion was not available. Promotions are only available when live on our website and enrollment is completed at that time.
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  • Your unique referral code may be shared with cousins, friends, and on social media!
  • If you are a new family, when you sign up for summer camp you will receive your unique referral code via email within 1-2 business days. If you are a returning family, you have already received your unique referral code via email.
  • You may not use your family’s unique referral code for your own children.
  • A new camper is defined as a child who has never attended a Lavner Education camp or other program previously.
  • A referrer is a camp family who referred one or more new families.
  • To qualify, your referrals must be new to Lavner Education (have never attended a Lavner Education summer camp, year-round program, lesson, or any other program) and they must use your referral code when they sign up for camp.
  • If you sent your child to Lavner Education previously you do not qualify as a new family and are not able to use a referral code when you sign up for camp again this year.
  • Each new student who uses a referral code from another family will receive $50 off at the time of purchase. In September 2026, referring families will receive a $50 credit in their Lavner Education account for each new friend they referred, after Summer 2026 has concluded and everyone has attended camp. <strong>Referral credits can either be used towards future Lavner camps/programs or you can request cash back for the full credit amount.</strong> Referral credits cannot exceed your total spend on camp in Summer 2026. (Eg. If you refer a new family that signs up 3 children, they will receive $150 off at the time of purchase and you will receive $150 in September 2026!)
  • Referrals must be made prior to the start of your friend’s first 2026 summer camp week.
  • All referrals are tallied in September 2026 to ensure that your child attended camp and that your referrals attended camp as well (at least one week each). Account credits and cash back will also be awarded in September 2026 after the tallies are completed.
  • To be eligible for a referral credit, you must also send a child to a Lavner Education summer camp in 2026.
  • In our camp referral competition, cash bonuses of $500 each will be awarded to the top three referring families. However, if there is a tie among the top referrers that involves more than three families, we will resolve it through a digital raffle. For example, if one family has the highest referral count, another has the second highest referral count, but there’s a tie among six families for the third highest, we will conduct a digital raffle live on Zoom to select which one of these six tied families will receive the third $500 bonus. Another example: 10 families are all tied for the highest referral total. We will conduct a digital raffle to pick all three winners. In this camp referral competition, only three families in total can win, and we’ll conduct a raffle for any necessary tie-breaking.
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How to Make a Minecraft Server in 11 Steps

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Young boy at a laptop smiling while playing Minecraft

Minecraft has become a beloved platform for children to unleash their creativity, explore boundless virtual worlds, and learn to collaborate with others. One of the most exciting aspects for kids is the ability to create their own Minecraft server, providing them with a unique space to play and interact with friends.

If you’re a parent, we’ll walk you through the steps for how to set up a Minecraft server, ensuring a safe and enjoyable gaming experience for your child. If you’re a kid, show this article to your parents to help you easily create a Minecraft server. These instructions are for parents only. Parents, you should always monitor your Minecraft server and make sure you are comfortable with who joins the server so you know who your child is interacting with. This article is instructional only, and Lavner Education is not responsible for anything that happens on your server. 😀

Why Children Want Their Own Minecraft Server

Children crave autonomy and the ability to customize their gaming experiences. By owning a Minecraft server, they can invite friends, set their own rules, and build together without limitations. This fosters a sense of ownership and creativity that enhances their overall gaming satisfaction. 

How Parents Can Help in Creating a Minecraft Server

Safety is a top priority when it comes to online gaming. If you’re a parent, you can take comfort in knowing how to make a Minecraft server and run it because it allows for a controlled environment. You have the power to whitelist players, ensuring that only approved individuals can join. Additionally, you can implement various plugins and mods to further enhance security measures. 

It is important to note that playing with people you know and trust keeps your home network relatively safe. However, if you plan on opening up your server to a larger sphere or the public, it is advisable to acquire a third-party hosting service, like Minecraft Realms, or Realms Plus. With Realms, you can still customize and control everything, but you aren’t hosting on your home network, which is safer.

How to Create a Minecraft Server on PC (Windows) vs. Mac (iOS)

Setting up a Minecraft server on your home network is pretty simple if you are less than familiar at using your PC and network. For more in-depth instructions on how to create a Minecraft server, and to properly configure your PC and network, you can visit the Minecraft help center directly, or look for specific trouble-shooting in the Minecraft Wiki.

The process of creating a Minecraft server varies slightly depending on the operating system. Below, we outline the steps for both Windows and Apple. 

Home Computer Minecraft Server Setup

  1. Ensure You Have the Latest Version of Java: Minecraft is a Java-based program, so be sure that you are running the latest version. Click here if you need to update. There is additional information and links for both Windows and iOS.
    Downloading the latest version of Java
  2. Get Minecraft: If you don’t have Minecraft, you will need to purchase it or download the right version of it. 
  3. Create a New Folder: You will want to create a new folder on your computer to save your server files in. Make sure to name it something easy to remember like “Minecraft Server,” and save it where it will be easy to find.
  4. Download Minecraft Server Software: From the official Minecraft website, you can download the server software for Windows (or Minecraft.dmg on MacOS):
    "Get Minecraft Server Software" section on the Minecraft site
    Save these to the new folder you made (it should look something like this: minecraft_server.1.20.2.jar).
    Saving the server software to your computer files
    Double-click the server file and it will open other files. One of those will be the EULA.
  5. Sign the EULA: Before running your server, you will need to sign the End-User License Agreement. To do this, you will need to click on the eula.txt file to open the dialog box. Change eula=false to eula=true. Save that and you will be able to move forward. For the full EULA, click here.
    Step 1 of signing the EULA
    Step 2 of signing the EULA
  6. Save the Run Command: 
    1. Copy the .jar run command code that corresponds with the version of Minecraft you are using from here. It will look like: java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar minecraft_server.1.20.2.jar nogui
    2. Right-click within the folder you made for server files and select “new,” and “text document.” Paste the run code above onto this document.
    3. Name this file run.bat and save (be sure to remove the .txt extension)
      Saving the Minecraft run command in computer files
      **Note that the latest Minecraft version will slightly alter the .jar file and the corresponding run command.
      .jar file for Minecraft server
    4. Select “All Files” as the file type when saving.
  7. Launch Server: Run the downloaded .jar file by double-clicking it. You might have to refresh before this step. As long as this window is open, your server is open and your invited players will be able to connect. The server window will keep track of things, see activity and:
    • Allow you to enter server commands.
    • See how much memory the server is using in the Stats panel. 
    • See who is currently connected to the server in the Players panel.
    • See server messages and player chats in the Log and Chat panel.
  8. Join Your Server: To connect Minecraft to your server, or join them:
    1. In the Minecraft main menu, select “Multiplayer” 
    2. Click “Add Server”
    3. Name your server in the “Server Name” field
    4. Type “localhost” in the “Server Address” field (alternately, you could type your actual IP address, but it isn’t necessary)
    5. Click “Done”
    6. Select your server and click “Join Server”
      Join your Minecraft server step 1
      Join your Minecraft server step 2
  9. Configure Server Settings: You will want to customize the server settings, including the world name, game mode, and player limit. You can do this inside the server property files. Common things to configure are who can join, what to name your world, and whether you want to use Creative Mode.
    • Open the file folder called server.properties
    • Change the properties of your Minecraft world by editing lines of the file
    • To change to creative: gamemode=1 puts your server in creative mode
    • Max‐players=20: change this number to increase or decrease the number of players that can join your server at one time.Be sure to only change words and to keep the format used in the code.
  10. Open Router Ports: This is also called port forwarding and means adjusting settings on your router so you can make a computer on your home network available to online players. The process can be different for everyone, depending on the kind of router you have. For more information on this process, click here. To find instructions for your particular router, click here and follow the instructions for porting forward.
  11. Invite Players: Share your server address with friends to start playing together. To find your external IP address:
    1. Open a browser window in Chrome
    2. Type “What’s my IP address?”
    3. Copy the number Google provides
      Local PC's IP address

To invite friends onto your server, send them your IP address and the port number: 25565. They will join using the same steps you did to join your server (above), but they will use the IP address you gave them with the port number at the end. It will look something like this: 2603:7080:a33f:ccdf::1002:25565

Lavner Education: Enhancing STEM Learning

At Lavner Education, we’re passionate about empowering young minds with cutting-edge STEM education. Through our online tutoring and in-person camps, children can dive into the world of coding, game design, robotics, and more.

Explore our courses and camps available nationwide:

By providing the tools and knowledge on how to create a Minecraft server, we aim to enrich your child’s gaming experience while fostering skills in technology and creativity. Now that you know how to start a Minecraft server, you can control the environment, the number of players, and who plays within your child’s creative space. Happy gaming!

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Lavner is the world leader in STEM education. We are on a mission to inspire the next generation of inventors, innovators, and game changers.

Our staff works tirelessly to build an education experience that is unlike ANY other. We help kids build valuable and in-demand skills in tech and make lifelong friendships in an environment of endless fun.

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