Mau Mau

Ages: 5 years old and up
Number of players: 2 -5
Materials: Deck of cards, counters/tokens (1 number less than the total number of players).
Skill Practice: Number recognition, matching, shifting

Goal: To get rid of all the cards in your hand first.  Mau Mau is similar to Uno but played with a regular deck of cards. There are multiple rule variations for this game. Also you can make up your own rules for cards.

Specific Card Rules:

  • 7 = the next player must draw 2 cards
  • 8 = player must change suits
  • Ace = skip the next player’s turn
  • Jack = Wild card, the player can name the suit or number
  • Queen = players must grab a token from the center of the table

Set up:

  1. The dealer passes out 7 cards to each player. 
  2. The dealer places the remaining cards in a stack. This becomes the draw pile. 
  3. The dealer turns over the top card from the draw pile.  This becomes the play pile.

Rules for play:

  1. The player on the left of the dealer begins play.
  2. At each player’s turn, the player must place a card that has either the same number or of the same suit as the top card on the play pile.
  3. If a player cannot make a play that player draws 1 card from the draw pile.  Then it is the next players turn.
  4. If a player plays a Jack, the card is wild and the player can name any number or suit.
  5. If a player plays an Ace, the next player’s turn is skipped.
  6. If a player plays a 7, the next player draws 2 cards before making their play.
  7. If a player plays an 8, that player must change suits.
  8. If a player plays a Queen, the players must grab for a counter or token.  The player who didn’t get a token must draw 2 cards.  After the player draws 2 cards, the players with the tokens replace the tokens in the center for the next time.
  9. A player must call Mau Mau when playing the second of their last card.  If they do not call Mau Mau and get called out, that player must draw 2 cards.
  10. Play continues until a player gets rid of all the cards in their hand.  The first player to get rid of all the cards wins the game.