Kids Reaction Trainer Drop Stick Game

The falling stick test is an old sports science exercise: one person drops a marked stick, the other catches it, and where they catch it shows how quickly they reacted. Turned into a game it becomes immediately competitive, because everyone believes they can beat their last score.

Its strength is that it needs nothing else. No screen, no batteries, no setup and no space beyond arm's length, which makes it usable at a kitchen table, in a waiting room or on a train. Rounds take seconds, so it fills the gaps in a day rather than demanding a slot in it.

Because it produces a number, it also gives children something to track and improve, which sustains interest longer than a game with no score. It works across a wide age range, since adults are usually only marginally faster than a practised child. Adult supervision is recommended with younger children, and the packaging age guidance should be checked before play.

• Measures reaction speed by where the stick is caught
• No screen, batteries or setup required
• Rounds take seconds, playable almost anywhere
• Produces a score children can track and improve
• Check packaging age guidance; supervise younger children