{{Short description|Object used for fidgeting or stimming with the hands}} {{about|the general class of toy|the 2017 fad toy|Fidget spinner}} thumb|A "flippy chain" type fidget toy [[file:Fidget spinner red, cropped.jpg|thumb|A fidget spinner]] thumb|Fidget cube with clicking, flipping and spinning parts A '''fidget toy''', '''fidget tool''', or just '''fidget''', is typically a small object used for pleasant activity with the hands (manual fidgeting or stimming). Some users believe these items help them tolerate anxiety, frustration, agitation, boredom, and excitement.<ref name=Atlas/> They are also commonly used by those with sensory difficulties.<ref>{{cite news |first=Barbara |last=Morse |url=https://turnto10.com/features/health-landing-page/health-check-kids/exploring-the-benefits-of-fidget-tools-in-enhancing-focus-and-coping-skills-for-children-rhode-island-november-2-2023 |title=Exploring the benefits of fidgets in enhancing focus and coping skills for children |website=WJAR |location=Providence, Rhode Island |date=2023-11-02 |access-date=2024-04-16 }}</ref> Fidget toys have uses in both therapeutic and educational settings,<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> although some controversies about their safety and effectiveness have been brought up over the years.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" />
Fidgets such as worry beads and Baoding balls have long existed, but the types and popularity have dramatically increased since the fidget spinner fad in 2017.<ref name=Atlas>{{Cite web |last=Jaffe |first=Ali |date=2017-06-05 |title=Quit Worrying, Fidget Toys Have Been Around Forever |url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/fidget-spinners-toys-history |access-date=2023-05-16 |website=Atlas Obscura }}</ref> “Other types of fidget toys include the Fidget Cube, stress balls, and Pop Its.”
A fidget toy can be designed to have a humorous aspect to its play, such as bath toys like “water snakes”{{refn|group=note|Also called “slippery snakes” and “water wigglers”}}, which slip out of a player’s grip,<ref>{{Cite web |last=K.Homer |date=2025-02-04 |title=Water Snake Toy: A Fun and Mesmerizing Sensory Toy - BlogsAuthor |url=https://blogsauthor.com/water-snake-toy/,%20https://blogsauthor.com/water-snake-toy/ |access-date=2026-04-17 |language=en-US}}</ref> or gel animal keychains which ‘poop’ when squeezed.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWyUn-JIje4 |title=Alaska moose poop key chain :D |date=2014-08-30 |last=dodoz777 |access-date=2026-04-17 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
== Uses and effectiveness ==
=== Therapeutic uses === In therapeutic contexts, fidget toys are employed to help individuals manage sensory, cognitive, and emotional experiences. Stimming, or self-stimulatory behavior, is a common way for autistic or ADHD individuals to cope with overwhelming sensory input.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Roche |first1=Megan A. |last2=Back |first2=Elisa |last3=Van Herwegen |first3=Jo |date=2024-05-01 |title=Parental perspectives on the use of fidget toys and sensory-seeking profiles in autistic and neurotypical children |journal=Current Psychology |language=en |volume=43 |issue=17 |pages=15872–15882 |doi=10.1007/s12144-023-05483-3 |issn=1936-4733|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last1=Schecter |first1=Rachel A. |last2=Shah |first2=Jay |last3=Fruitman |first3=Kate |last4=Milanaik |first4=Ruth Lynn |date=2017 |title=Fidget spinners: Purported benefits, adverse effects and accepted alternatives |url=https://journals.lww.com/00008480-201710000-00017 |journal=Current Opinion in Pediatrics |language=en |volume=29 |issue=5 |pages=616–618 |doi=10.1097/MOP.0000000000000523 |pmid=28692449 |issn=1040-8703|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Fidget toys can facilitate this process, offering a safe and effective means of processing stimuli, helping individuals reduce stress and anxiety levels.<ref name=":0" /> Studies have shown that using fidget toys can provide sensory input that helps individuals self-regulate, leading to improved emotional stability and reduced episodes of overstimulation.<ref name=":0" /> According to autism-based psychotherapy practices, therapists often incorporate fidget toys into sessions to help clients, including children and adults on the autism spectrum, engage with their senses in a mindful manner.<ref name=":0" /> For example, therapists may offer clients options for fidget toys and guide them through a mindful exploration of the sensations associated with their use, providing a grounding activity that supports emotional regulation. This approach has been found to be particularly effective in helping clients reduce anxiety and improve focus during therapy sessions, ultimately aiding in the development of coping mechanisms for managing stress.<ref name=":0" />
=== Educational uses === In educational settings, fidgets are often used as tools to help children, particularly those with attention-related challenges, maintain focus during lessons.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Pliskin |first1=Ariel E. |last2=Crehan |first2=Eileen T. |date=2024 |title=Moving toward neurodiversity-affirming integrated psychotherapy with autistic clients. |url=https://doi.apa.org/doi/10.1037/int0000340 |journal=Journal of Psychotherapy Integration |language=en |volume=34 |issue=3 |pages=338–350 |doi=10.1037/int0000340 |issn=1573-3696|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Research suggests that parents of autistic children tend to perceive fidget toys, including fidget spinners, as effective tools for reducing anxiety and enhancing focus.<ref name=":2" /> The effectiveness of fidget toys in educational environments is attributed to their ability to provide sensory input that helps children channel excess energy and improve their concentration on tasks.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> A recent study found that parents of autistic children with higher sensory-seeking scores noted significant benefits from fidget toys in terms of anxiety reduction, while fidget spinners were seen as more distracting compared to other fidget toys.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> Similarly, parents of typically developing children with high sensory-seeking scores perceived fidget toys as helpful for increasing their child's ability to concentrate.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />
The implications of these findings suggest that educators should take parental perspectives into account when forming policies regarding the use of fidget toys in the classroom.<ref name=":2" /> While some schools have banned these toys due to concerns about distraction, there is evidence to support their positive impact on children with specific sensory needs, especially in promoting focus and reducing anxiety.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |date=2017-09-15 |title=The Fidget Spinners Are Banned in 32% of the Largest High Schools U.S. – Spinner List |url=https://spinnerlist.com/pages/fidget-spinners-new-ban-study-2017 |access-date=2024-12-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915113835/https://spinnerlist.com/pages/fidget-spinners-new-ban-study-2017 |archive-date=15 September 2017 }}</ref> The use of fidget toys has been found to help students who struggle with sitting still or maintaining attention by providing a controlled outlet for movement, thereby improving their ability to engage with classroom activities.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> Consequently, policies that incorporate individualized approaches may be more effective in balancing the needs of all students, ensuring that those who benefit from fidget toys have access to them while minimizing potential distractions for others.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />
=== Other benefits === While fidget toys are most commonly used in classroom settings, they have a wide variety of other uses. They can be used as toys for simple entertainment, to make distressing events less overwhelming, as a way to bond with other children, or even to incentivize autistic children to complete day-to-day tasks.<ref name=":1" /> Many parents individualize the use of fidget spinners and other fidget toys to meet the specific needs of their children.<ref name=":1" />
== Controversies and limitations == With the rise of fidget toys in popularity, some controversies emerged. One concerning pattern was reports of fidget toy-related injuries in children, which were largely related to children ingesting fidget toys or even putting them in their eyes.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last1=Crane |first1=Alexander B. |last2=Uppuluri |first2=Aditya |last3=Dastjerdi |first3=Mohammad H. |date=2024-06-01 |title=The Influence of Social Media: Fidget Toy Placed in Eye |url=https://www.aaojournal.org/article/S0161-6420(23)00460-8/fulltext |journal=Ophthalmology |language=English |volume=131 |issue=6 |page=723 |doi=10.1016/j.ophtha.2023.06.020 |issn=0161-6420 |pmid=37480913|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last1=Nessmann |first1=A. |last2=Chaloupka |first2=K. |last3=Böni |first3=C. |date=2018-03-01 |title=Bulbusperforation eines 7‑jährigen Kindes durch das "Must-Have Office Toy 2017" |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00347-017-0603-y |journal=Der Ophthalmologe |language=de |volume=115 |issue=3 |pages=231–234 |doi=10.1007/s00347-017-0603-y |issn=1433-0423|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Some examples of injuries include a 9-year-old girl who suffered from moderate erosions in the corneal epithelium of the eye after putting a round popping fidget toy in it,<ref name=":3" /> a 7-year-old girl who suffered from eyeball perforations and unilateral vision loss caused by an uncontrolled fidget spinner,<ref name=":4" /> and a child who suffered from a stress injury from continuously playing with a fidget spinner for 8 hours.<ref name=":1" /> Choking hazards were a large concern for many fidget toys as well – particularly for those with moving pieces or small ball bearings – due to their marketing towards children.<ref name=":1" />
Some professionals also question the effectiveness of fidget toys, in both therapeutic and educational settings.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |last1=Croley |first1=Kelsi E. |last2=Drevon |first2=Daniel D. |last3=Decker |first3=Dawn M. |last4=Hixson |first4=Michael D. |last5=Radley |first5=Keith C. |date=2023-06-01 |title=The Effect of the Fidget Cube on Classroom Behavior among Students with Perceived Attention Difficulties |journal=Behavior Analysis in Practice |language=en |volume=16 |issue=2 |pages=547–557 |doi=10.1007/s40617-022-00734-4 |issn=2196-8934 |pmc=9388206 |pmid=35999944}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |last1=Spencer-Mueller |first1=Emily Krysten |last2=Fenske |first2=Mark J |date=2024-08-01 |title=Note-taking for the win: Doodling does not reduce boredom or mind-wandering, nor enhance attention or retention of lecture material |journal=Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology |language=en |volume=77 |issue=8 |pages=1780–1796 |doi=10.1177/17470218231222402 |issn=1747-0218 |pmc=11295400 |pmid=38087918}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last1=Driesen |first1=Matson |last2=Rijmen |first2=Joske |last3=Hulsbosch |first3=An-Katrien |last4=Danckaerts |first4=Marina |last5=Wiersema |first5=Jan R. |last6=Van der Oord |first6=Saskia |date=2023-10-01 |title=Tools or Toys? The Effect of Fidget Spinners and Bouncy Bands on the Academic Performance in Children With Varying ADHD-Symptomatology |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0361476X23000681 |journal=Contemporary Educational Psychology |volume=75 |article-number=102214 |doi=10.1016/j.cedpsych.2023.102214 |hdl=1854/LU-01HAPWKWXA8R54WPX2CBD7WVCY |issn=0361-476X|hdl-access=free }}</ref> Studies investigating the effectiveness of fidget toys have had mixed results; some examples of those challenging the effectiveness of fidget toys include a 2022 study done on third graders with attention problems found that fidget cubes did not improve their ability to independently get work done,<ref name=":6" /> a 2023 study which found that fidgeting and doodling in general did not improve college students' focus or ability to retain boring information,<ref name=":7" /> and another 2023 study found that bouncy bands and fidget spinners did not help improve attention in academic settings, even in children who presented with greater inattention struggles.<ref name=":8" />
Along with safety and effectiveness concerns, fidget toys come with a risk of distraction in school settings. In fact, shortly after skyrocketing to popularity in 2017, fidget spinners were banned in 32% of United States' top 200 biggest high schools – public and private – for questions around effectiveness, safety, and distractibility.<ref name=":5" /> Teachers are some of the biggest critics, citing jealousy between students, fidget toys being used for fun instead of focusing, and even visual or noise distractions with certain fidget toys as some of the main problems.<ref name=":1" />
==See also== *Everyday carry (EDC) *Infinity cube *Prayer beads
== Notes == {{reflist|group=note}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Toys}}
Category:Novelty items Category:Physical activity and dexterity toys Category:Sensory toys Category:Tools