If you love classic card games, you’ll love UNO Junior! Published by Mattel, this game is perfect for younger children and is a great way to kick-start their fun.

In this article, I’ll be discussing the rules of UNO Junior as well as how to play the game. It’s quite simple, but with a few tips and tricks up your sleeve, you can become an expert at it in no time.

Let’s get started!

What is UNO Junior?

Uno junior, as the name suggests, is the junior version of the card game Unp. It is specially curated for kids of age groups 3 – 7. Unlike seven cards of Uno, the players usually deal with five cards in this game.

The game’s first card is turned over from the draw pile, and the players now match the top card in the discard pile. The matching is done by colors or by the same animal. If a player cannot reach a card (paint or animal), they must draw a card from the draw pile.

Once the player has only one card left, they must scream out Uno. If they do not announce, they will be challenged by other players.

There are a total of 56 cards in the pack. The first player to get rid of their cards becomes the game-winner (just as in standard Uno).

The objective of the Game

The objective of Uno Junior is to get rid of all the cards before all the other players and become the winner of the game.

It is designed for small kids in the age group of 3-5. The game is more straightforward and uncomplicated.

To make it more accessible, the number of cards has been reduced to 56, which is half of the standard Uno. It is a beginner-level game and primes the kids to become enthusiastic future Uno players.

Things to Know Before Playing UNO Junior

How many cards do you start with in UNO Junior?

The Uno junior game is played with a total of 56 cards. Initially, each player is dealt five cards.

What is the age range of playing UNO Junior?

Since children above seven years of age can participate in the Uno standard version, the Uno junior game is ideal for kids aged 3 and above.

It helps the kids to recognize numbers, colors, and matching patterns. It is a great practice to improve their cognitive and thinking capabilities and boosts their logical skills.

How many players can play UNO Junior?

Usually, two to four players can play the Uno Junior game.

UNO Junior Rules

There are several types of cards with unique rules to play this game. In this section, you will learn all of them.

Draw One Card

If a player draws this card, the next player must draw a card from the draw pile, and their turn will be skipped. If the card is played at the game’s beginning, the first player must draw 1 card.

The draw one card can only be played to match another Draw one card or a card of the same color.

Draw Two Card

If any player plays this card, the next player will skip their turn and draw two cards from the draw pile. Like the draw one card, you can play this card only to match another and draw two cards of the same animal or the same color.

The first player will draw 2 cards if this card is played at the game’s beginning.

Reverse Card

The action of this card is almost similar to how it acts in the Uno standard version. When a player draws this card, the direction of the gameplay gets reversed.

This card can be played only by another reverse card of the same color or the same animal. If the reverse card is played at the game’s beginning, the dealer will become the first player to play the cards, and the gameplay will continue in the anti-clockwise direction unless another reverse card is played.

Skip Card

The next player loses their turn when playing the skip card. Skip cards can be played only on another skip card of the same animal or color.

If the skip card becomes the first played card of the game, the first player skips or loses their turn.

Wild Card

This is the only card for Uno junior, where the matching of colors, numbers, or animals does not make a difference. You can play this card at any point in the game.

If the wild card turns out to be the first card of the discard pile, the first player will choose the color for the rest of the game. They will also get a hand to play with their chosen color.

How to Play UNO Junior?

Now, let’s dive in to start playing the game.

Setting Up

To set up the game, there is usually some adult intervention who can guide the kids and set it up for them. The deck is shuffled well, just like any other card game, and each player is handed five cards.

The rest of the cards are placed in a face-down position to form the draw pile from where the players will draw cards to continue the game. The topmost card of the draw pile will be turned in a face-up position to form the discard pile. The players will match and put down their cards in the discard pile.

Gameplay

The game starts with the player to the left of the dealer. The game proceeds clockwise and only changes if a reverse card is played.

The player will try eliminating their cards by dumping them into the discard pile. The cards can be placed in the discard pile only if it matches the last discard pile card in terms of color, number, or animal.

Winning the Game

The first player to get rid of all their cards will win the game. The winning concept is precisely similar to that of the standard Uno version. The players must scream Uno aloud when they have only one card.

UNO Junior Levels

There are several levels of the Uno junior game. The levels have been designed keeping in mind the mental and cognitive abilities of the kids playing the game.

The Uno junior levels proceed with increasing difficulty levels, giving the kids an enjoyable, fun, and exciting experience.

Tips & Strategies While Playing UNO Junior

The tips and hacks for winning Uno junior are almost the same as those for winning Uno standard version. Here are the top 5 tips to follow for winning the Uno junior game:

Keep the number of at-hand cards low because it gets easier to deal with fewer cards
Always watch out for the moves of the opponents because it helps to end the game faster
Change the color of the cards often for better options for winning
Use the action cards smartly because they can determine your game fate. Don’t rush to use them
Follow the rules properly and corporate with the other players.