UNO Number Line

I am a huge UNO fan and have been playing the game ever since I was a youngster. I have recently been experimenting with using the cards to make simple number and colour games for my son and it has been very successful. Previously we have played number and colour matching pairs but this time round we were more adventurous and tried using UNO cards to create number lines as a means of improving number sequencing and writing numbers.

Using UNO cards to practise number sequencing and writing.

What you need:

- a pack of UNO cards

- white paper cut the same size as the UNO cards with a '?' drawn on one side

- red, green, blue and yellow markers

How to play:

1. I set up one number line in each colour but only had the red number line showing to minimise distraction and confusion.

2. I left out a red number card and replaced it with a '?' card. When I referred to these cards with my son I used the term 'missing number card' to help him understand.

3. I encouraged my son to read out the numbers on the cards to help him figure out what the missing number was.

Reading the number line out loud.

4. To the right of the number lines I had set up three red cards under the title 'what is the missing number?'. Once he had told me what he thought the missing number was I let him turn over the three cards and he had to put the correct one in place of the '?' card. He got so excited when he found the right red 3 card.

Finding the right missing number card.

Putting the red 3 card in place.

5. After replacing the '?' card I asked him to turn it over and write a red 3 on the blank side of the white paper. He used the 3 on the card in front of him to help.

Writing red 3 on the white card.

6. My son continued the same process for all four colour number lines. He found it harder when the number line didn't start with 1 but he enjoyed figuring it out by himself. My son has only just started to write numbers so for some of them I dotted it out and he joined the dots to form the number.

Joining the dots to form number 4.

This was a much more colourful and exciting way to practise number sequencing and writing and we also got to enjoy a game of snap after as well.

The completed number lines.