Just Call Us "Spaz"tic

Well, tonight was Family Home Evening. I was in charge of the activity or game. I wanted a fun game - one that we hadn't played for a while or a new game - one that wouldn't take a lot of investigation or preparation in order to play. Fondly, I thought back to my younger years with my own family and remembered playing "UNO Spaz". Sounds like a fun and interesting name, but it's even more fun and interesting than it sounds.

With all the new versions of playing UNO, this game is no different. We had a blast at playing. With Justin being the youngest, it would be very easy for him to get stuck getting most of the cards. We helped out a little so that he wouldn't. Being older doesn't necessarily mean you will be quick or you won't make any mistakes, in fact, it is tricky to make sure you are doing the correct action sometimes. Anna ended up winning our game. The kids wanted to continue playing, but I told them we would finish up Family Home Evening first, have our treat, and anyone that wanted to continue playing would be able to do that. I think our family will have to play again in the near future. This is a great game to play with friends.

I found instructions to the game on the internet at http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/393609/uno-spaz AND at http://www.vanillajoy.com/family-games-day-4-gulo-gulo.html. Hopefully, between the two websites it informs you of how to play the game. Here are the instructions from the first website:

First deal out all the cards to everyone playing (the more the merrier). Keep your cards face down without looking at them. Then in a clockwise motion from the dealer you lay your cards face up one at a time in a pile. Everyone takes turns adding to the pile. When two cards of the same color are laid down in consecutive order you have to do one of four things.

1) If Blue: throw your hand into the sky/air
2) If Yellow: place your hand on your forehead
3) If Red: place your hand on your heart
4) If Green: place your hand on the ground/table

We like to think the colors directly correspond with the places you put your hand. Blue for the sky, Yellow for when you have an idea and the light bulb turns on (or when you have yellow fever), red for the heart, and green for the grass.

But wait, What about the wild cards? You may ask. When two wilds are played back to back (a rare occurrence) you have to run your hand through all four(4) positions. That's Grass, Heart, Mind, and Sky as fast as you can. (Our family starts with heart, then head, then sky, and lastly the ground. I find it easier to tell who slaps the table last rather than seeing who raised their hand last in the air.)

Who ever is last to place their hand in the corresponding position (believe me it's not that easy and you'll look pretty funny trying to get there) then has to pick up the entire pile of cards, thus adding more to their hand. That person is the first to lay down a card to continue the game.

Play continues until someone has used up all their cards. Of course you can continue until someone's 2nd or 3rd, or until one loser as the whole deck.