Your first few days

This is just a quick tutorial on getting started in your Minecraft adventure, and just a few things you need to do and some helpful tips along the way.

When you spawn
When you first spawn you are going to want to take a look around, see what kind of environment you are dealing with so you can best judge what to do. First priority is always to find Trees and food. I would suggest looking for either of those right off the bat, now sheep do not give food but having the wool for a bed will really speed up your first night which can be stressful, so if you see sheep might as well kill them.

Shopping List for Day One
On your first day, from experience, I have created a small "shopping list" of supplies you should try and get on your first day before night falls. The list is:
o 40+ Planks
o 20+ Torches (Not needed but do help a bit)
o 10+ of any sort of food (meats, bread, chicken)
o At least 1 set of stone tools (hoe not needed)
o A bed(3 wool, 3 plank), Furnace, and crafting table
These are what I consider to be the main necessity's of your first day in minecraft. You can always develop your own method of starting the day but I consider this to be a helpful guideline for getting started in minecraft.

Night is upon you
Now when the sun is starting to get low to the ground, this is crunch time. Find a spot you would like to rest for the night and pick it relatively fast. Flat areas are good. Take your material of choice (Dirt, Wood, Stone) and build a small house for the night. Enough to fit your bed, furnace, and crafting table. It is ALWAYS important to make a roof of any means necessary. Its your first night, it doesn't need to be a castle. If you don't have a bed you will have to wait the night out.

Day 2 is here!
Congratulations! You survived the first night. Well done my friend, now we can get down to business. By now you should have a small base of operations, and some supplies. Day 2 is the time for you to expand your supplies and start to grow your house. For day 2 you should try and find a few of these items:
o 10+ Iron
o ANY coal you can find (in the beginning you can never have enough)
o Sugar Cane (not too useful til later, but good to start early)
o Eggs, and nearby farm animals
o Natural Mines (these are the most rich in resources
o Any Red or Brown mushrooms
o A bed (if you don't have already)
After your little shopping trip around your area, you should be able to accumulate some of these if not all materials. Go to your house and make a chest to store excess supplies. Now it should be around noon-3pm so we still have some time. Go out and collect loads of logs and stone for your future house, even some sand is nice. After you have some Wood, stone, and sand you should head home. If it is not too late (the sun isn't close to sundown) then expand on your house with some stone or wood. Put sand in the furnace and make some glass for nice windows.

You have successfully been alive for 2 full days, started a house, collected materials, and made tools. You are ready to explore off on your own, no one can tell you what to do. You will have to use your imagination.

Extra Tips
o Try to always have food on you, even if you are not going far from home
o Always Always Always, bring torches, spare tools, and food when you are mining. (A bed is optional while mining)
o Don't use iron tools for high enchantments. Diamond tools are a better pay off in the end
o If you get bored try new things, build a roller coaster, expand your house. There is always something to do

Feel free to message me if you need any help!

For more reference on crafting recipes and info about the game please try the following sites:
http://www.minecraftforum.net/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/
http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Minecraft_Wiki