Roman Numeral Oh Nuts!

Usually we play Oh Nuts! with a gameboard. You can see one and how we use a board here:

http://www.angelfire.com/wi2/GamesForLearning/gamepages/ohnuts.html

However, we just played it as a card game and it was a hit with the boys. They have enjoyed our time with Roman Numerals. I introduced Roman Numerals to Charles with Fun with Roman Numerals by David Adler. It caught his attention right away because the illustrations show Roman soldiers. We also made some Roman Numeral coins which I will blog about in another post.

To Make: Two sets of cards are needed. On the first set (cut 2x2) I stamped I, V, X, L, C, D and M....about 12 or so of each. I had a perfect stamp set, but they could easily be hand written or printed on the computer for those of you that can do that. You also need a little bar card if you are going to do numbers like 5,000 or 10,000 which we did.

First set of cards - Roman Numeral Cards

NOTE: I did each of the Roman Numerals on a different color of card stock so they would be easy to sort.

Second set of cards - The number cards

The second set (2X3) has numbers on it (a wide variety of numbers...depending on how high you are working with Roman Numerals). These cards I just hand wrote. I could have used another stamp set, but didn't even think of it at the time...LOL. I also wrote the Roman Numeral answer in small letters at the bottom of the card. Also...and this is what makes the game fun...about 1/3 of the cards need no number, but the words OH NUTS! written on them. . 

Cards set up for play when two children play alone.

To Play: I was the dealer. The kids could play alone, but they always enjoy it more if I am involved. When the children play alone, one child must draw the card for the other players since the answers are on the front of the cards.

Douglas draws and reads a card for Charles.

Charles went first. (NOTE we changed the rules some as we went along. Never be afraid to adjust things to make the play more fun.) I had shuffled the number cards and the Roman Numeral cards were in separate piles on the floor in front of the boys.

Douglas and Charles

The player has 2 choices as he starts his turn. He may take the top number card or PASS and take the next card. If the card has a number on it he uses the Roman Numeral cards to make the number. If correct, he collects the number card to his temporary pile. Now he can go again IF he wishes to. He takes the next card (or says PASS and then he must take the second card). He then again, makes the number... 

Douglas draws an Oh Nuts! card for Charles

...UNLESS it is an OH NUTS! card. If at anytime he chooses an Oh Nuts! card, he must forfeit all cards in his temporary save pile.

Poor Charles!

However, at any time after collecting a card, a player may choose to end his turn and move all cards in his temporary save pile to a permanent save pile (these cards cannot be lost). Then the turn passes to the next player.

The player with the most cards in his permanent save pile is the winner. Because of the luck of the game, Charles, 7, who is just learning Roman Numerals, was the winner over Douglas, 9, who knows them quite well.

NOTE: Because Charles is just learning we often helped him a little as he was making his Roman Numerals. Normally, a wrong answer would also cause a player to forfeit any cards in his temporary pile and end his turn, but we choose not to use this rule....at least not yet.

Check out the Roman Numeral Coins we made.