“UNO", I exclaim as I play my next to last card. “Somebody better change it!” I warn. Everyone plays their turn and then I play my last card and win the hand. The points are tallied, the cards dealt, and another hand is played out.
I could not wait for my children to grow old enough to play “UNO”. It was one of the first games I taught them. As we played daily, their enthusiasm soon matched my own. In the process they learned colors, numbers, and how to win and gracefully lose always looking forward to the next game. Originally created by Merle Robbins in 1971, UNO became well known, well loved, and a product distributed by Mattel since 1992. Over the years many variations have been created around popular characters. In recent years my kids and I have collected several variations including Harry Potter UNO, Disney Princess UNO, and Spiderman UNO. Of the many we have gathered the Harry Potter version is my favorite. That particular edition contains a special Voldermort card that when played allows the player who holds it to play all of their Harry Potter cards after it. That can make for a quick hand if you have a lot of Harry Potter cards populating your hand.
When the weather grows warm, the kids and I retreat out to our camper parked beside the house and play games with UNO topping the list. It is our personal haven, clubhouse, and retreat. Last summer we
decided to add an even bigger twist and mix the specialty decks together playing out all their special cards as each game specified. It was a blast! It is a great game for the whole family to enjoy together with simple enough rules that even your youngest can participate and enjoy.
