So you might be wondering – what are fidget toys anyway? Do they serve any purpose? Are they even useful?
It is important to understand what fidgeting is in the first place.
Fidgeting are those small movements people make (especially of the hands and feet) when they are restless, excited, nervous etc. It is perfectly natural but can be a bit distracting to all concerned.
Enter fidget toys!
A fidget toy is a small toy that a child can manipulate easily – pull, twist, pop. stretch – you name it – to help them fidget in a structured way. Ideally it should be able to fit in their hand or at least be something they can move around with easily. So tangle toys, twisty tubes, spinners etc are all perfect examples of fidget toys.
Fidget toys help keep those fingers busy so they can focus on something else. This could be listening to a teacher in the classroom, sermons in a place of worship, long journeys etc.
There are also resources to help with feet fidgeting too!
So why do you need it for the classroom?
For some children, it helps them focus more on what is being taught. The idea being the busier the fingers, the calmer the mind.
are fidgets that can be attached to a pencil!
Some are just so soft and squishy – they are just a joy to the senses. Those kind of toys provide sensory input which is just so calming for both adults and children!
Fidget toys help relieve stress – and yes little ones get stressed too. They can channel all that energy into the toy and feel better for it!
With these few points of ours, we hope we have been able to convince you and not to confuse you that fidgets are great for the classroom, home and everywhere else!