Fidget toys have been around for quite some time now. But back in 2017, they became the most liked and bought toy. This was the trend of the year. People all over the world bought these toys like anything, the sales for fidget toys hiked up like crazy. It became the top-selling item on Amazon within no time. The fidget toy sets can help children to relieve stress.
What was all the hype about though? Well, nothing sells without any reason, and that’s the same case for fidget toys. They are a great source of relieving stress. With most items, the trend dies down, and that’s exactly what happened with the fidget toys. But that hasn’t stopped the kids from purchasing them. It’s still something that your child will drag you to the store to buy.
Fidget toys come in many different shapes, sizes, and types. But they all serve only one purpose and that is to help relieve stress and anxiety. Most anxious kids fidget their fingers, tie and untie their laces. Some play with the zipper on their jackets, clicking a pen constantly. Some even go as far as biting their nails.
Instead of scolding these kids for these habits, you should get them a fidget toy. It will help divert their attention from all these activities to the one physical toy. They can carry around and play with whenever they feel anxious.
When choosing a fidget toy for your child make sure that it’s not pointed or sharp, or else your kid may end up accidentally hurting themselves or someone else. Always go for soft, squeezable toys that can be easily taken to school as well.
Why fidget toys are important for children
To understand why fidget toys are important for children, you first need to understand a little bit of human psychology. Every mind works differently. When you have something in your hand that you can fidget with, it proves to be a great way to stay focused as fidgeting is something you do subconsciously.
Similarly, fidget toys in the classroom can help children focus better on their studies. I’m sure that if your bench mate clicks on a pen constantly, it can get really annoying and distracting for you but for them, it is a way to focus and stay attentive. And while that action is not generally liked by the public, you can advise your friend to switch to a less noisy fidget toy.
There is no evidence to support that fidget toys can be harmful to your child. So why not get them one? Even if it doesn’t improve their symptoms of ADHD and anxiety, it will surely give them a few moments of relief as they squeeze the putty in their hands, or move the tangle around.
Observations
According to a study, children that were given stress balls were recorded to have improved ‘attitude, attention, writing abilities, and peer interaction’. All these factors play an important role when it comes to your child’s school life. If there are ways through which they can improve their ability to interact with others and study, then why should these toys be kept away from them?
Not convinced enough? Another study also shows that children with ADHD perform tasks better when given stress-relieving fidget toys. They are able to do the tasks which they considered to be seemingly difficult just a few minutes earlier.
Good news! Fidget toys are not really expensive. And one toy can go a long way, that is until your child decides that they find some other toy more interesting, and they convince you to get them a new one.
However, there is bad news too. School administrations have started to prohibit the use of fidget toys in school because of the vast variety of toys available in the market. The presence of choice has made children competitive towards each other as each child now wants a similar toy as their friends or they want something better.
But don’t worry, your child can still benefit from the toy at home, and who knows, this article might convince schools to allow kids to carry fidget toys to school.
Here are some fidget toy sets you can get your child if they are anxious at school.
Tangle
This is an all-time favourite classroom-friendly toy. It is usually permissible in classrooms to use this toy because it is noiseless. Hey, maybe you can recommend this to your friend who clicks the pen constantly.
When a child’s brain develops, they must be able to communicate between the left and right hemispheres. Studies prove that movement is necessary for cognitive growth since it allows the child to use both sides of the brain in sync. That’s exactly what tangle does, it engages both sides of the brain, helping your child become mentally strong.
Pop It!
This toy comes in many different shapes and sizes. It is a great stress reliever and also a good way for your kids to spend their time. This toy has been such a success that there are hundreds of youtube videos where YouTubers are just playing with this toy for long periods of time.
Even watching someone else play with it can be soothing and calming, and this is why such videos have gained millions of views because children love relieving all that stress.
Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty
Squeezing things can be a great way to de-stress. This putty is soft, squishy, and not at all watery. It comes in a tin can which your child can easily carry in their backpacks.
It is not detectable, meaning, it’s noiseless and isn’t even something bright and colourful that would catch someone’s eye. It’s just a simple putty that can be squeezed, stretched far and wide, and moulded into any shape. It is a great alternative to other hard fidget Toys for Kids.
Fidget Spinner
How could we forget the world-famous fidget spinner. This was the one toy that took the internet by storm. It was all over the news. Kids of all ages bugged their parents to get them not one but at least 3 fidget spinners.
They can be easily carried in pockets. Feeling stressed out on the school bus? Just take yours out and start spinning it, you’ll feel better in no time.
They come in many different colours, and some even have tiny lights on time (which is something your child should avoid if they want to carry it to school).
Stress Ball
Stress balls are similar to putty, except it is an actual ball. You can squeeze it as much as you want. They are even washable, you can clean them as they might get dirty if your child constantly plays with them.
It also isn’t a huge distraction because it doesn’t require the attention of the user. You can just sit in class and play with this ball under the desk while simultaneously focusing on the board or the teacher’s lecture.
In a way, these fidget toys allow you to multitask. You could be doing something else in the class, like Writing, talking, giving a presentation, and could be playing with the stress ball with the other hand. The anxiety will be waived off before it gets the better of you.
