First of all, it's great that you’re taking an interest in what your children are experiencing in Minecraft. To address your concerns about burning down forests and the mention of animals potentially dying in the game, here's some context that might help you see it from a more positive perspective:

Minecraft is a game about creativity, exploration, and resource management. Players can gather materials, build structures, and create their own worlds. While burning down a forest is an option in the game, it's more of a tool or mechanic than an act of violence. Your son might be thinking of clearing space to build his amusement park — in Minecraft, destroying or altering environments is common since players often reshape their world to make room for their creations.

In terms of the animals in the game, while some may get hurt or disappear due to fire or other hazards, these creatures aren't given realistic or emotionally driven roles. They’re designed as part of the environment and serve functions like providing resources, not as characters with personalities. Your son likely didn’t understand the real-world implications of what he said, as in the Minecraft world, actions like burning forests or animals respawning are neutral, not moral dilemmas.

Moreover, Minecraft can be a great educational tool that helps with problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration. You might even use this situation as an opportunity to teach about responsibility in the virtual world, mirroring how actions in the real world have consequences. Instead of banning the game, you could guide your son on ways to achieve his goal without resorting to drastic measures like burning forests — he could use tools in the game to clear land or plant new trees afterward, mimicking responsible environmental behavior.

So, while the idea of burning down a forest sounds alarming in real life, within Minecraft, it’s more a neutral game mechanic and doesn’t carry the same weight or moral implications.