Not My Egg!

About the reaction game “Not My Egg!”

“Not My Egg!” is a reaction game for children focused on attention and endurance, inspired by the story about the cuckoo from “The Book About Birds, Part 1” by the LittleBookBirdAndWiseOwl project. In nature, some species of cuckoos lay their eggs in the nests of other birds – and this real behavior became the basis for a short, lively online game.

How the Game Works

At the bottom of the screen are nests with sample eggs, while eggs fall from above. The task is to move each egg to the matching nest. From time to time, however, a cuckoo egg appears: it should not be placed in any nest. The game has three levels, with the pace gradually increasing. On a computer, the game is controlled with the ◀ ▶ keys, while on mobile devices the on-screen buttons are used. Each correctly placed egg earns 1 point. A mistake – placing an egg in the wrong nest or putting a cuckoo egg into any nest – costs one of the three lives.

What Does the Game Develop?

Attention & Concentration

Observation & Visual Discrimination

Self-Regulation & Impulse Control

Reaction Speed

Hand–Eye Coordination

The game is designed so that the child has to keep the rule in mind, follow changes on the screen, notice small differences between the eggs, and decide each time whether to act or, instead, stop at the right moment. As the pace increases, there is less time to make a decision, so it becomes important not to lose accuracy by rushing. The child gradually learns to maintain focus for longer, coordinate what they see with their movement, resist an automatic response, and shift from quick action to a deliberate pause when the situation requires it. It is this combination of speed, accuracy, and the need sometimes not to react that makes the game different from a simple reaction-time test.

Game details

• Game type: reaction game.
• Access: this game is free to play and does not require an account or email activation.
• Works on: this game works in modern browsers on phones and tablets, no installation is required.
• Book connection: “The Book About Birds, Part 1”

“Not My Egg!” is a reaction game inspired by the real behavior of cuckoos. It is part of the LittleBookBirdAndWiseOwl world, where book and game work together: reading, playing, and returning to the stories gradually help to notice more – both in the text and in the details of nature.

From story to action. From action to play. From play to new adventures.