Have you heard of this new trend? Fidget Spinners. I must have been living in the dark these past few months.
I first heard of them abut 2 weeks ago, bought one for our son and THE NEXT day an email was sent home from our school banning them! Well, I still wanted to check them out and see what the rage was all about.
Fidget toys are a really affordable and easily used gadget. They have been used to help with focus, attention, calming, and listening. These fidgets come in all different shapes, colors and sizes. These fidgets do not make a lot of noise, they can be sued while sitting and are offering many an outlet to help them stay calmer, more attentive and more relaxed.
Teachers are adding them into their students day, parents are using them with kids at home and they are getting a lot of attention.
Teachers can easily spot the child that is restless and they are using these fidgets to help with their attention. The thought is that having this hand held device to use will allow improved concentration.
I gave the one I got to my son, he held it, spun it a few times and was done. That is pretty typical of his pattern. Not much will excite him for long. That does not mean he won’t use it again and I will try to add it to his day if he is presenting with some difficulty attending. I do not see how it can hurt.
My husband loved it, he spent more time spinning it and also thought it was helpful to decrease his stress.
I can see how they could become a problem in schools, with all kids having one, the teacher will not be the focus and the fidgets which are supposed to help distraction, could lead to distraction.
I am curious on others thoughts and experiences- are you or your kids using and if so, how are they working?