Minecraft wiki entry for Combat, associated text: If the player does not have a shield, another way to block off a creeper's explosion is to place a block in front of the exploding creeper at its feet level. It can be any solid block, even ones with low blast resistance like dirt or sand. Since explosion damage is calculated from the feet of the creeper, by placing this block, the "exposure" of the player to the explosion is substantially reduced, and the player would typically only take 1 damage. The terrain around would still be damaged though, so the player should make sure not to stand in dangerous places while doing this.