TL;DR
If your kid is obsessed with Mumbo Jumbo, you’ve actually hit the YouTube jackpot. Unlike the high-decibel, neon-colored "brain rot" usually found on the platform, Mumbo (real name Oli Brotherhood) is a British creator who focuses on the technical, logical side of Minecraft. He’s essentially a digital mechanical engineer who teaches kids how to think in systems, troubleshoot failures, and build complex machines using "Redstone"—Minecraft’s version of electricity.
Quick Links for the Tech-Curious Parent:
Oli Brotherhood, known to millions of kids as Mumbo Jumbo, is the gold standard of "Educational-ish" gaming content. He’s been around for over a decade, mostly famous for his suit-wearing avatar and his signature mustache.
While most Minecraft YouTubers focus on "roleplay" or "survival challenges" that involve a lot of screaming, Mumbo’s niche is Redstone Engineering. Redstone is a material in Minecraft that allows players to create circuits. Mumbo uses it to build everything from "walking houses" and automated pumpkin farms to 5x5 seamless piston doors.
He is also a core member of Hermitcraft, a private, invite-only server where some of the world’s most talented (and generally wholesome) Minecraft creators collaborate on a massive world. Think of it like a digital commune for professional builders.
It’s the "Lego Effect." There is a deep, primal satisfaction in watching someone take a pile of raw materials and turn them into a functioning machine.
- The "Aha!" Moment: Mumbo is great at explaining why a circuit works. When a kid finally understands an "AND gate" or a "T-Flip Flop" because of a Mumbo Jumbo tutorial, they aren't just playing a game; they’re learning basic Boolean logic.
- The "Boffin" Persona: He leans into being a bit of a tech nerd. He’s self-deprecating, often messes up his own builds, and shows the process of fixing them. This "fail-forward" mentality is a huge contrast to the polished, "I’m the best" attitude of many other influencers.
- The Community: Being a fan of Mumbo usually means being part of the Hermitcraft fandom. It’s a relatively safe, creative, and collaborative corner of the internet.
Ask our chatbot for more YouTubers who focus on building and engineering
We often worry that Minecraft is just a time-sink, but Mumbo Jumbo represents the "High-Yield" version of screen time.
Redstone engineering is essentially a gateway drug to Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. The logic gates used in Minecraft are the same fundamental principles used in real-world circuit design. If your child can build a hidden staircase using observers and repeaters, they are already thinking like a systems architect.
If your kid is already a "Mumbo-ite," they’ve likely exhausted his back catalog. Here are some age-appropriate, high-quality alternatives that keep that same "maker" spirit alive:
Mumbo’s best friend on the Hermitcraft server. While Mumbo is the "Engineer," Grian is the "Architect." He focuses on aesthetics, color theory, and structural design. Watching both gives a kid a well-rounded "STEM + Art" (STEAM) experience.
- Ages: 8+
- Vibe: Chaotic good, hilarious, very creative.
If you want to move them from the screen to the real world, Mark Rober is the natural next step. He’s a former NASA engineer who builds crazy physical contraptions (like the famous Glitter Bomb). It’s the real-life version of Mumbo’s Redstone builds.
- Ages: 7+
- Vibe: High-energy, educational, brilliant.
If they are spending hours on Redstone logic, they are ready for actual coding. Scratch is a block-based coding language developed by MIT. It feels like a game but teaches the "if-then" logic they’re already using in Minecraft.
- Ages: 8-16
- Vibe: Creative, educational, foundational.
This is a physical board game where you build mechanical computers powered by marbles to solve logic puzzles. It is essentially "Mumbo Jumbo: The Board Game."
- Ages: 8+
- Vibe: Tactile, brain-bending, zero-screen-time logic.
- Ages 7-9: They will love the "cool" machines but might find the technical tutorials a bit fast. Watching with them can help bridge the gap.
- Ages 10-13: This is the sweet spot. They are old enough to follow his tutorials step-by-step in their own Minecraft worlds.
- Ages 14+: Many teens stick around for the Hermitcraft storytelling and the community vibes.
Mumbo Jumbo is about as "clean" as YouTube gets. He doesn't swear, he doesn't engage in toxic drama, and he generally promotes a positive, helpful community.
However, YouTube is still YouTube.
- The Sidebar: Even if Mumbo’s video is safe, the "Recommended" videos in the sidebar might not be.
- Comments: Mumbo’s comment section is generally well-moderated, but it’s still an open forum.
- The "Rabbit Hole": It’s easy to start with a Mumbo Jumbo video and end up three hours later watching "Minecraft Creepypasta" or something much weirder.
You might hear your kid talking about "The Hermits" or specific seasons of "Hermitcraft." This is a collaborative series that runs for a year or two at a time. It’s essentially a long-running reality show, but instead of people fighting in a house, they are building a massive civilization together.
It’s a great example of digital citizenship. The players have to manage a shared economy (using Diamonds as currency), resolve land disputes, and collaborate on massive projects. It’s a much better social model than the "every man for himself" vibe of Fortnite.
If you want to blow your kid's mind (or just show you're paying attention), try asking these questions:
- "What's the biggest Redstone project you've tried to build recently?"
- "I heard Mumbo is a bit of a 'spoon' (his slang for being silly/forgetful)—did he mess up a build today?"
- "Are you more of an engineer like Mumbo or a builder like Grian?"
- "How does a 'comparator' actually work in Redstone? Can you show me?" (Warning: They will explain it for 20 minutes. Bring coffee.)
Mumbo Jumbo is one of the few creators where you can feel good about the "Watch" time leading to "Do" time. Most kids don't just watch him; they watch him, then immediately open Minecraft to try and replicate what he did. That’s active learning, not passive consumption.
If your child is into Mumbo, they aren't just "playing games"—they’re apprenticing under a master digital tinkerer.
- Watch a video together: Ask them to show you his "simplest" Redstone build.
- Check their Minecraft world: See if they've actually built any of the machines they're watching.
- Explore the "Hermitcraft" ecosystem: If they like the social aspect, look into other members like PearlescentMoon or GoodTimesWithScar.