The Best Fidget Toys for Kids with ADHD
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Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common medical conditions affecting American children. Kids with ADHD often have a hard time focusing, keeping still, and practicing self-regulation. Because the effects make it more challenging for the child to participate in school and other activities, they are more likely to be considered fidgeters, especially when it’s time to remain still.
More: 5 Back-to-School Gadgets to Help Kids with ADHD and Autism
Fidget toys are highly recommended by many doctors, parents, and professionals because the toys allow for a sensory fidget and stress-relief associated with being overly active. Because FamilyEducation is all about families and children, we’ve put together a list of the best fidget toys for kids with ADHD.
What to Consider When Purchasing a Fidget Toy
As Scientific American stated in their article Fidget Toys Aren’t Just Hype. “Fidgeting didn’t start with the spinner craze. If you’ve ever clicked a ballpoint pen, again and again, you’ve used a fidget item.” Now there are countless objects that are marketed specifically as fidget toys, and they have the science to back them up.
When you’re considering the purchase of a fidget toy, you want to keep the sensory fidget in mind. Kids with ADHD are looking for an extra sensory input that will help to stabilize and calm their nervous system. The hands are great self-regulation tools to focus and filter out extra sensory input.
Depending on what feels “good” to the child, you’ll want to look for toys that are manipulative and easy to hold, preferably in one hand. They can be squishy, clicky, furry, smooth, or other sensations. And as an added bonus, they often boost fine motor skills.
How We Chose Our Favorites
Lots of research and experience! I’ve been a teacher for over a decade in classrooms ranging from preschool to high school. Teachers have seen a wide range of fidget toys, and most would agree that we’re happy there are others besides the fidget spinner.
This list provides you with the best fidget toys for kids with ADHD as recommended by teachers, parents, occupational therapists, and other professionals who work with children. You’ll find a range of toys for any type of fidgeter and for any age.
Stress Balls and Squeeze Toys
Stress balls are notorious for being one of the most used stress reducers for kids and adults with ADHD, especially for those who prefer a squeezy, pumping motion for their hands.
Squeeze toys are similar to stress balls because they are squishy and squeezy, but they come in plenty of shapes than just a ball. These are great for younger kids who prefer fidget toys with character and personality.
You can flip this fidget toy back and forth from a soft spiky ball to a smooth ball. It’s super stretchy and has tiny air holes as an extra safety measure. If it gets dirty, you can wipe it down with soap and water. It could be mistaken for a play toy, but the soft spikes add a sensory fidget that kids love.
Teacher Peach prints motivational quotes on their stress relief toys to boost kids’ confidence while providing a focus for restless boys and girls. Each squeeze ball has a different positive quote and they come in a variety of colors.
Scented, squishy unicorns? This must be a fantastical paradise. These unicorn squeeze fidget toys are slow-rising and slightly-scented. They’re small enough to pack in a backpack and keep tucked in as a desk toy (if the teacher agrees, of course).
From the makers of Panic Pete, comes an eye-popping kitten for kids who love cats so much they just want to squeeze them. This one is slightly larger than the other ADHD squeeze toys but is great for boys and girls. Once squeezed, the eyes pop out of their sockets but go back in once you relax your grip.
For those who aren’t into squeezing kittens, maybe a brain with popping eyes? It’s latex-free and is great for older kids who might be into zombies.
YoYa has a variety of fidget toys to choose from, but the light-up ball has a soft, spiky surface for stimulation. To add to the fidget, they’ve included sparkling LED lights and lots of smaller colorful balls that give it a DNA or bacterial effect.
Tactile Fidgets
These offer tactile stimulation, such as soft, smooth, spiky, and squeezy, and are great for sensory fidgeters.
This is the ultimate putty specifically made for individuals with learning and emotional disabilities. They come in a variety of colors, including a collection of Illusion putties with color-shifting metallic tones. Anyone who needs a putty-type fidget toy can bounce, tear, and sculpt it.
Worry stones have been used for centuries in helping with stress and thinking relief. They have gained popularity with older kids in having a pocket-sized, tactical fidget item. The stones are beautiful, perfectly smooth, and the carved dip fits the thumb like a fingerprint. You can choose from a variety of stone and crystal types, and it comes with a pouch so you can carry it with you anywhere.
Monkey Noodles are stretchy, twirly fidget strings that are great for hair pullers and twirlers. These sensory toys stretch from 10 inches to 8 feet. They come in a pack of five in a variety of bright colors (green, red, blue, purple, and pink).
Crayola knows kids and understands that many have attention disorders. For this reason, they created Globbles, which are 16 fun, squishy balls that can stack and stick together without leaving residue behind. These are washable fidget toys intended for kids 4-8.
Many people are using these children’s toys for ADHD, autism, Alzheimer’s, and anxiety. The wooden balls are connected together by flexible joints, so the child spends time manipulating them around in different ways. It takes focus and boosts creativity to come up with different results.
This is a set of four soft, spiky sensory fidget toys in red, blue, yellow, and green. They’re small enough to fit in the palm and resemble the shape of a hedgehog. Place them under the palm and roll it back and forth.
Fidget Cubes and Puzzles
Fidget puzzles are great as a mindfulness tactic since they’re mostly brain teasers and fidgeters that require focus.
The infinity cube is a popular fidget toy. It’s good for all ages and you can manipulate the cube with one hand. It’s high-quality, durable, and can withstand constant folding and flipping. The plastic blocks are linked together by metal bearings and you can turn them into different styles of blocks.
A bunch of linked wooden cubes that can be manipulated, twisted, and stacked into different cubed shapes. And what gives it the most character is the robot face at the top, so any way you twist the cube, it will have a funny expression.
The Tangle BrainTools are made to “fidget to focus” so kids with ADHD can occupy their hands to let their minds go where it needs to. The Tangle is a therapeutic tool that twists and turns, but still stays connected. It’s a curved, rubber-textured tube and fits in the palm of the hand. Also available as a soft, fuzzy, and colorful Tangle Jr. Fuzzies.
This is a 2-in-1 fidget spinner and cube that comes with a handy little pouch. The spinner looks like a thin cube with Rubix colors, and it spins quietly and smoothly helping to boost concentration and soothe nerves. You can turn and click the parts of the spinner for a different fidget feeling and transform the look.
There are three puzzle gadgets in the Coogam fidget set that also act as fun brain teasers. The fidget snake can be turned into different shapes, giving it a tangram appearance. The puzzle ball is a popular choice for kids with ADHD because the user has to get all 11 balls back into the color matching holes. The speed cube is similar to a Rubix cube.
The Minilopa Fidget Dodecagon is a 12-sided fidget cube with different finder-size activities on each side. These include gears, buttons, a tiny joystick, silicone balls, and other things to click, roll, flick, and spin. This fidget toy is handy for those who want a variety of choices in one hand-held device. They come in different, vibrant colors, too.
Keychains and Desk Toys
Many of the items mentioned in this article can be used as desk toys, but these are small enough to clip onto a backpack or keychain.
The flippy chain is aptly named for the smooth, fluid movement it makes from the two iron rings joined together. It’s widely used for older kids with ADHD and is small enough to use as a desk toy.
This handy little keychain from Fat Brain Toys features two small silicone fidget buttons embedded in a plastic frame. There are four color combinations to choose from and is very handy for kids with keys. It can also clip onto a backpack for easy access.
Boinks Fidgets are made specifically for stress relief, autism, self-regulation, ADHD, and more. They’re made of a strong, nylon mesh with sealed ends. Inside of the mesh is a marble that the child can push and manipulate back and forth. They come highly recommended and are machine washable.
