UNO Junior Card Game: Rules and Instructions

Objective of UNO Junior

The objective of UNO Junior is to be the first player to play all of the cards from your hand.

Setup for UNO Junior

Choose a difficulty level to use for the game. See the differences in the difficulty levels below.
Shuffle the cards that will be used in the game. The cards you will use in the game depends on what difficulty you chose to use.
Deal five cards face down to each player. If you are playing with younger children, you can have everyone place their cards face up on the table. Otherwise you will keep the cards in your hand so other players can’t see them.
The rest of the cards form the Draw Pile.
Take the top card from the Draw Pile and flip it over. This card will start the Discard Pile.
The game does not specify who starts the game. Most UNO games have the player to the left of the dealer start the game. You could also let the youngest player start the game.

Playing UNO Junior

On your turn you will look at the top card on the Discard Pile. You will try to find a card in your hand that matches the top card on the Discard Pile. A card can match in one of four ways.

Color
Number
Animal
Symbol

If you have a card in your hand that matches one of these four criteria, you can play it to the Discard Pile.

Playing a card to match a yellow one. — The top card on the Discard Pile is a yellow one. Along the bottom of this picture are three potential cards that the next player could choose to play. They could play the red one because it matches the number/animal. The yellow five could be played because it matches the color. Finally the Wild could be played because it matches every other card in the game.

Playing a card that matches the symbol — The top card on the Discard Pile is a green Reverse card. On your turn you could choose to play a red Reverse card since it matches the symbol of the top card on the Discard Pile.

Should you not have any cards in your hand that match the top card on the Discard Pile, you will draw the top card from the Draw Pile. If the card you took matches the top card on the Discard Pile, you can play it immediately. Otherwise you will add the card to your hand.

Whether you played or drew a card on your turn, your turn ends. Play will pass to the next player in turn order. The rules do not specifically mention the turn order to start the game. For pretty much every UNO game though, turn order usually passes clockwise/left to start the game.

Calling UNO

When you only have one card left in your hand, you will yell out “UNO”. You will do this to alert the other players that you are close to winning the game.

If you fail to say UNO and another player catches you before the next player starts their turn, you have to draw two cards from the Draw Pile.

Winning UNO Junior

The first player to play the last card from their hand wins the game.

Beginner Game

The beginner game is meant to introduce UNO to young children. This is the simplistic version of the game. It helps teach children how to take turns along with color and number recognition.

Follow all of the normal rules of the game. You will remove all of the Action cards from the deck before you shuffle the cards. The only cards used in this level of the game are the number cards.

Intermediate Game

The intermediate level of the game adds some additional cards back into the game once children are more familiar with the game. This level teaches critical thinking, sorting and classifying.

For this level of the game you will use the number, Reverse, Skip and Wild cards.

Advanced Game

The advanced level is the most complicated version of the game. It will teach children logic and problem solving.

This level of the game uses all of the cards included in the game.

Card Meanings of UNO Junior

Number

Number cards have no special ability in the game. You can only play them if they match the color or number/animal of the top card on the Discard Pile.

Draw One (+1)

When you play a Draw One card, the next player in turn order has to draw one card. They also lose their next turn.

You can play Draw One cards on cards that match its color or other Draw One cards.

Draw Two (+2)

After you play a Draw Two card, the next player in turn order has to draw two cards. They will also lose their next turn.

A Draw Two card can be played on top of another Draw Two card or a card that matches its color.

Reverse

When you play a Reverse card, the play order will reverse. If play order was moving clockwise, it will now move counterclockwise. If play was moving counterclockwise, it will now move clockwise.

A Reverse card can be played on top of another Reverse card, or on a card that matches its color.

Skip

The next player loses their turn.

You can play a Skip card on top of another Skip card or on top of a card of the same color.

Wild

You can play a Wild card at any time as it matches every other color in the game. When you play a Wild card you will choose the color for the Discard Pile.

UNO Junior FAQs

If you have any questions about how to play UNO Junior, leave a comment below on this post. I will try to answer any questions asked as best and as quickly as possible.

UNO Junior Components

9 blue cards (0-8)
9 green cards (0-8)
9 red cards (0-8)
9 yellow cards (0-8)
4 Draw One cards (1 of each color)
4 Draw Two cards (1 of each color)
4 Skip cards (1 of each color)
4 Reverse cards (1 of each color)
4 Wild cards
Instructions

Year: 1992 | Publisher: Mattel

Genres: Card, Children’s, Family

Ages: 3+ | Number of Players: 2-4 | Length of Game: 10-20 minutes

Difficulty: Light | Strategy: Light | Luck: High

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