I never really understood the popularity or appeal of fidgets until my son started his elementary school years. They didn't make sense to me. Spin a colorful little disk? Oh, ok. Pop the little bubbles on a popping mat? Satisfying, sure, but why so popular? I have a very active, on-the-go, million-thoughts-a-minute kid. He has trouble sitting still and always seems to be poking, picking, ripping, crumbling, and squishing whatever seems to be within arm's reach. His first-grade teacher suggested we get him a few fidgets, which she allowed him to have in class. She thought if his hands were busy, it would provide him with an outlet to satiate his need for constant movement. She was so spot on! I began noticing if he has a fidget or thinking putty in his hand, he's more present and engaged in conversations with me.
I started doing a bit of digging to understand how and why fidgets help hyperactive and inattentive kids. I wanted to be sure that fidgets were a positive helpful aide and not something that would stimulate even more distracted behavior. There's a website I've been relying on more and more as my son ages and encounters new struggles - ADDitude.com. If you have a child who struggles with any sort of focus issues, ADHD, learning disorders, or anything in that realm, please go to this site and bookmark it! It's such an amazing wealth of information, advice and resources. An article titled "The Body Brain Connection: How Fidgeting Sharpens Focus" talks about how doing two things at once (like my son squishing putty while telling me about his day) will focus the brain on the primary task. And let me tell you - I definitely get way more information out of him when he's squishing, turning, twisting or popping something.
I have focus issues myself (apples never fall far...). Looking back at my childhood behaviors, this was a huge AH-HA moment for me. A crystal clear example? My parents took my brother and me x-country skiing as kids. It was HARD. The only way I was actually able to get my skis to move in an orderly fashion and not slip and slide all over the place was because I'd throw my Walkman into my pocket (yes, Walkman) slip on some flimsy headphones and jam out to music. When I had music playing, I was on fire with cross country skiing! Big long strides, a consistent pace, staying in the tracks, you name it. Connecting the dots now, I realize listening to music was focusing my brain in order to tackle a physical activity that was normally super hard for me.
Side note: This is my first honest and open post about our struggles with ADHD. While it feels quite vulnerable to put that out there, it's something I want to share in the hopes that it will help other moms who are scared, confused, or knee-deep in a similar situation and desperately need a rudder. And remember, moms, you're seen, and you're doing awesome!
Ok - enough rambling. Getting back to the fun part of this post - here are some of our favorite fidgets...tried, tested and loved. I'm only recommending what my son actually uses and likes. If you have suggestions for others - let me know. There's no fidget we won't try!
FIDGETS
THE BEST OF THE BEST
We just discovered these in a toy store in northern Michigan while we were there for a lacrosse tournament. I'm not making any sort of commission recommending them! While they are a bit pricey at $38, they have a great texture in your hand, and as the site says, you can build them, mash them, and smash them. Any kid on his team that touched them became obsessed. They are well worth the price.
While this isn't something you can subtly mess around with in class because it's a bit larger than a normal fidget, it's a great one to just twist and turn with no real need to solve it.
If you hate slime, stretchy clay or anything in that realm, skip this one. But thinking putty has been my son's #1 go-to for the last few years. Now that he's a bit older, he's responsible with it and I don't find it stuck to the seat of a car or pooled at the bottom out of his backpack. He loves to pull it, stretch it, form it into a ball and squish away. The ones that have the magnet in them are awesome! The putty comes in a super secure tin so you don't have to worry about random putty escapes.
As the OG that put fidgets on the map, do I need to even say anything about these? Spin away, my friends.
This was a Christmas gift and all of the adults were stealing it from each other to try to solve it. It's a magnetic puzzle that can form into over 70+ shapes. But can you be the one to get it back into a tidy little box? I only made that happen once. Another good one to mindlessly twisy and turn.
Runner's Up
Like little transformers, these have bendable links attached to a spinner so they bend and spin every which way. They are a great price point and I feel like everywhere I look in our house, I can find one.
I hate to say it, but if you don't know about these you're living under a rock! There is something quite satisfying about "popping" these bad boys.
While not technically a fidget, my son loves to put his fingers in the little shoes and run the skateboard over any surface he can find. I even find him zipping the skateboard over his arm, legs and head when he's looking to calm his mind.
This one? This one is my favorite (well.. except for the Speks.). I'm super into its tactile amazingness. It's good for squishing, pulling and flattening and throwing from hand-to-hand.
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