By Annette Aucamp & Nancy Azzam

In recent years, certain fidget toys have become wildly popular among children. These intriguing toys, such as Pop-Its or fidget spinners, are not just toys, however. They have also been found to help students with ADHD or even neurodivergent kids who are in need of a tool that promotes self-regulation. 

Fidget toys were initially made to give the same satisfaction as twirling a pencil with the added benefit of being extremely fun to play with. Since many students are busy and stressed out, fidget toys can be beneficial to tactile learners who require touching physical objects in order to work productively.

“The average kid works 60 hours a week if we consider anything overseen by an adult work,” Richard Gottlieb, CEO of Global Toy Experts and publisher of The Toy Intelligencer, said. “Sometimes the only place they get to relax is in the back seat of the car, and something like the fidget spinner or Pop It is portable, and they can just sit back and engage with it.”

Fidget toys provide a way for children to step away from their phones, and focus their energy on something that can help them destress and stay calm. 

With the increased promotion of prioritizing mental health in recent years, many fidget toys have arisen, including fidget cubes, fidget spinners, Pop-Its, stress balls, and more.

“It’s tough for kids and adults to sit still for a long period of time, and they can’t always get up and run around or do some yoga,” Katherine Isbister, a researcher and professor of computational media at the University of California, Santa Cruz, said. “The fidget is a compensation, a contained-to-the-hands way to practice self-regulation.”

Not only are fidget toys a good way for kids to release pent-up energy and stress, but they can also be practical and helpful additions to the classroom. According to a study from the National Library of Medicine, when second-grade students diagnosed with ADHD were given fidget spinners to play with during class to study the levels of on-task behavior during fidget toy use, an immediate increase in on-task behavior was seen. 

“If a fidget toy allows the student to concentrate better and get less distracted, I think they should be allowed in a classroom setting,” junior Destiny Arroyo said.

However, many schools don’t see these benefits as demonstrated by the widespread fidget toy ban. Some teachers argue that fidget toys are a distraction that could potentially harm the classroom. With these toys often flying across the classroom, students and teachers can be hit. It is clear that some students are more drawn to the “fun” aspect of these toys rather than their intended purpose of improving focus. As a result, a student’s attention often falls on the toy rather than the teacher. 

According to Western Governors University, “Unless it is written into a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 accommodation, fidget spinners should not be allowed in the classroom,” a middle school teacher said. “I’ve found for most of my students, fidget spinners tend to be a distraction—especially since they spin them inside their desks, which makes noise. It doesn’t really seem to help students focus on what’s going on.”

Despite this, fidget toys are proven to help students who need them and their use should be encouraged in school environments, not prohibited. 

Though some students misbehave and disrespect their teachers through fidget toys, those with learning disabilities or attention deficit disorders, such as ADHD, should not be punished for the actions of others. 

For many, fidget toys offer benefits in everyday life by improving focus and relaxing their minds. By allowing fidget toy use in classrooms, schools will see more positive outcomes in their student body than negative, such as an improvement in academic performance and mental health. 

Above all, schools should prioritize mental health to provide a positive learning environment for all learners.