UNO Movement Game for Kids | Still Playing School

UNO Movement Game for Kids

We play outside as much as we can but lately the weather hasn't been cooperating. What is a parent or teacher to do when stuck inside with active kids who need to move? We turned the classic card game of Uno into a indoor gross motor game! 

How to turn UNO into an indoor recess gross motor movement game for kids!

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We played this indoor movement game with a traditional set of Uno cards.

Colors Preschool Theme

If you prefer, you could take out all the cards that aren't numbers but I'll share how we incorporated the whole deck into our gross motor activity. 


We took turns flipping over cards. We assigned each color to an action. The number told us how many repetitions of each to do. You can choose whatever movements work for your kids and your space but ours included:

Red - Hop
Yellow - Stomp
Green - Twirl
Blue - Touch Elbows to Opposite Knees 

So a yellow 2 meant we needed to stomp twice and a red 8 had us hopping as we counted to eight. I recommend you write the actions so you can remember them. It is also be fun to switch the choices up each time you play! Let the kids take turns picking the movements every time you play.



No matter who flipped the card, we all got up to move (or in my case to take blurry pictures of the kids moving while giggling)! 

Reverse cards still flipped the order. Skips skipped a turn. 

Oh, but what if you flipped a dreaded Draw Two card on your turn?


Then that lucky player drew two more cards and completed the actions themselves as the rest of us cheered them on.

Warning: This ends up being the favorite card in the deck and produces the most laughter!



Did you know that elbow knee touches challenge kids to cross the midline? (Check out how small our kids were in that guest post on crossing the midline I wrote for Teach Mama several years ago!) 


Not only did this game get the wiggles out and cheer us up on a day when we were stuck inside, but we were also practicing number recognition and counting as we completed the movements.

This is sure to be a favorite that we play often in our house now! I promise it'll be a hit in your classroom too.


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More Indoor Movement Games: 


Great Day for Up Reading Game from Growing Book by Book

Beginning Sound Movement Game from Mom Inspired Life

Beginning Letter Sounds Tunnel Gross Motor Game from Capri +3


Walkin’ In The Jungle Gross Motor and Sequencing for Preschool! from The Preschool Toolbox

Bug Shapes (Bugs Fun Kids Math Games) from Learning 2 Walk



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3 comments :

  1. This is awesome. I loved playing UNO as a kid and this movement variation is perfect for the snowy day we are having today.

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  2. That is great that you use crossing the mid line motions. What a fun and creative game!

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  3. I love this idea! I'm thinking I might make a visual chart before doing it with my 2.5 year old. He will love it.

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