Fidget Toys

Fidgets can be a very effective and helpful self-regulation tool. Use fidgets and sensory balls for calming and alerting, to promote focusing and concentration, decrease stress, increase tactile awareness of fingers/hands (through proprioceptive input), and as a way to keep fidgeting fingers busy!
Fidget toys can also provide a fun way to strengthen hands and "warm-up" fingers before handwriting activities and fine motor skill tasks. Sensory balls are a favorite OT sensory diet tool, make a fun gift, and are one of many fidget toys that can help relieve stress! You can use silent fidgets for the classroom, quiet fidget toys, and fidgets for feet that can help improve concentration and focus, and lots of great office and desk toys that relieve stress and keep minds alert at work.


What Is A Fidget?

Koosh ball
Soft foam ball or tennis ball
Hand exerciser
Silly Putty, Play-Doh, or Clay
Plastic bracelets
Smooth stone (sometimes called a “worry stone“)
Wikki Stix or Bendaroos
Sensory balloons (filled with rice, flour, birdseed, etc.)
Pipe cleaners
Coiled shoestring
Bendable plastic straw
Paper clip
Hair scrunchie
Pencil or pen
How To Use A Fidget

Obviously, a fidget could quickly become a distraction for many children.  It’s important to set clear boundaries regarding the use of fidgets in the classroom.  Some good general guidelines include:

The fidget must stay under the child’s desk or table (or in the child’s lap in a non-classroom setting)
Eyes should remain on the teacher, rather than on the fidget
If the fidget becomes a distraction, it will be taken away
I think it’s important to remember that although a fidget can be a valuable tool to use in the classroom, or anywhere else that a child needs to sit still (car, church, appointments, etc.), they are definitely not for everyone.
If the fidget becomes more of a problem than a solution, it’s time to find another option.

Children are naturally inclined to move their bodies, which is why it can be so difficult for many kids to sit still.  Certainly, this can be an even bigger issue for children who struggle with ADD, ADHD, or who are on the autism spectrum.

Constantly reminding a child to “stop fidgeting” or to “stay still” can cause a great deal of frustration and anxiety for the child (and the adult involved), which will likely lead to other, more undesirable behaviors.

Using a fidget, like the ones listed above, can be a great way to redirect the child’s need to move, and allow them to be more focused and likely to retain information.



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