Uno reinvented for 3-year-old kids
The playing rules of original Uno card are not designed for a 3 years old. Recently I created a “car driving” game using Uno cards. Children can learn and practice comparing numbers when playing the game.
Story of the game
The senario is simulating a car driving on the road. Players operate the car by playing the cards in turn to make it accelerate or decelerate, and follow the traffic signs.
- Number cards: representing the speed of the car. The larger the number, the faster the car moves. Players should play card with a larger number if the car is accelerating, or a smaller number if it is decelerating.
- Action cards: represting traffic signs. If one player place a traffic sign, the next player should operate the car accordingly to follow the sign.
Traffic signs and their meanings
- Skip: Stop. The car should reduce its speed as soon as possible. So the next player should play a smallest number in his/her hand, or a wild car and call its number. If no number or wild card is available, a traffic sign should be placed.
- Reverse: reversing the accelrating status. When the car is accelerating, it is goint to decelerate, and vise versa.
- Wild: It can represent any number card.
- Draw 2: +2. The next player should operate the car two times, i.e. place 2 cards (could include traffic signs)
- Draw 4: +4. The next player should operate the car four times, i.e. place 4 cards (could include traffic signs)
Rules
The youngest player play the first card (should be a number card) and shout out “faster!” or “slower!”. The next player could:
- play a number card, which should be larger if the car is accelerating, or smaller if it is decelerating.
- a more strict rule is: to keep the car moves smooth, we should play a possible smallest number if it is accelerating, or a possible largest number if it is decelerating.
- place traffic sign to change the behavior of the car.
- play several cards if the previous card is “+2” or “+4”, and keep them correct.
Dealing
N (e.g. N=7) cards a round or dealing cards evenly beforehand. You can also share all the cards with your kids. You decide.