How to Play UNO in Your Classroom

UNO is a great game that students can play in class. It reinforces number and color recognition, taking turns, listening skills, reading and following directions. Once they have played the game a couple of times it can become an independent center activity. I have outlined a couple of crucial tips and rule changes below.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Buy UNO. You should not pay more than $5 for it.
2. Paint two squares on the table where they are going to play the game. This will ensure that the cards stay in neat stacks. I simply tell them that if I see the cards out of the squares, the game is over. Paint arrows on the table if you think they might not know which direction to go.
3. Place the kids into groups of no more than six. I think five students playing UNO is optimal.
4. Remove some of the more difficult cards from the stack when you first start playing. Remove the "Draw," "Reverse" and "Skip" cards from the stack. Then add them to the stack a few at a time once they master the simple game.
5. Teach the students the rules of the game and play with them the first few times.
6. Tell the kids that when someone "wins" by getting rid of their cards, they should keep playing until everyone wins! You can also have the winning student draw seven new cards and keep playing with the group.