A Fidget Toy is a squeezeable and moldable toy. Previously, they were often called stress balls, which is contradictory because it sounds like they would cause stress and not the other way around. So it is better to call them anti-stress balls.
The English term Fidget Toy is the latest concept that includes everything that you touch, squeeze or play with in your hand to reduce stress and increase focus and concentration. In today's modern society, stress is a major health problem and is caused not least by the fact that we are always connected via our phones that demand our attention.
Therefore, Fidget Toys can be good for calming nerves and reducing stress, but also as an aid to increasing concentration and focus. By squeezing and massaging them, you “trick” the body into unwinding and lowering stress levels.
In addition, researchers have proven that doing something with your hands while your brain is working can increase concentration. For example, it can be about being able to concentrate on what the teacher is saying in a lesson, a long lecture at university or a meeting in work life. So using your hands is good for both learning, concentration and maintaining focus.
Fidget Toys come in all sorts of colors and shapes, but what they have in common is that you can squeeze and shape them. Here are the most common varieties:
Pop It Fidget Toy - The latest in Fidget Toys. Pop It Fidget Toy has bubbles that create a pleasant popping sound when you squeeze them. When you have squeezed all the bubbles on one side, you just turn it over and start again. Like a bubble wrap that never runs out. See all Pop It Fidget Toys - Hurry Skurry
Orbeez Jelly Water Beads - Has about 100 small water beads (jelly balls) inside. They are lovely to press when you feel the water beads moving. The water beads come in many different colors. The outer shell can be transparent (so you can see the water beads very clearly) or have a color. They can also have the shapes of different figures, fruits or balls.
See all Orbeez Jelly Water Beads - Hurry Skurry
Squeeze - Can have any shape and contains a jelly-like material.
See all Squeeze - Hurry Skurry
Squeeze Sand - These contain a special type of sand that gives them unique, moldable and squeeze-friendly properties. The unique thing about these is that they retain their shape once you have shaped them.
See all Squeeze Sand - Hurry Skurry
Throw & Squeeze - A Fidget Toy that can be squeezed but can also be thrown against a flat surface. When it hits the surface, it slowly crawls back down to the ground.
See all Throw & Squeeze - Hurry Skurry
Stretchy - These are Fidget Toys that are stretchy and made to be pulled. They therefore become longer than their original shape.
Splat - These are Fidget Toys that you can both squeeze and throw at a flat surface, wall or window. When it hits the surface, it spreads out but quickly returns to its original shape.
See all Splat Fidget Toys - Hurry Skurry
Puffers - These are filled with air and often have spines or “rubber hairs” which give a lovely feel to the touch. They often look like balls or can be likened to centipedes in their shape.
Finger String - String game is a real classic that has existed for all time, a fun activity that you can do by yourself or with friends. A game that is preferably played in pairs because it gives more variation if four hands can be used. By using a knotted string that is wrapped or threaded on the fingers, you can create patterns together through different threads of the string. Common patterns are the cradle, the coffee cup, the ladder, fish in a dish and the pasture.
See Finger String Fidget Toys - Hurry Skurry
Squishy - Squishy is a hand-made toy so colour and pattern may vary. Squishies are durable but will show signs of wear and tear with continuous or excessive use. Squishies are made of a soft and stretchable material, which means that small pieces can come off if you bite or pull hard. This can potentially pose a choking hazard, especially for small children. Children under three years of age should therefore not play with squishies.
See all Squishies - Hurry Skurry
Squishy Mochi - Cute and colorful figure that is surprisingly soft and comfortable to the touch. Mochi are very elastic and easily return to their original shape. They are also suitable for all kinds of crafts. For example, try renewing a mobile phone case by gluing a cute soft Mochi to the back of the case.
See all Squishy Moch in - Hurry Skurry
Water Snake - The international name is Water Snake. It is a long tube that contains water and is difficult to hold on to because it keeps slipping out of your hands. Water snakes can be of different lengths and have different colors and shapes. Can contain beads, glitter and more.
Kinetic sand - This is a soft, non-toxic and “living” play sand that is a mixture of modeling clay and sand. It can be sculpted, molded, shaped and modeled. The sand never dries, leaves no stains and is not sticky. It should not be exposed to water and cannot be washed, but it can be frozen to kill bacteria.
Sandy Floss - This is an elastic and malleable sand that is a mixture of modeling clay and moist sand. With Sandy Floss you can sculpt fantastic figures and develop children's fine motor skills. It can be kneaded into a hard and stable lump and a second later it flows between your fingers. It looks and feels like sand and the more it is kneaded, the more it sticks together and thus also becomes stretchable.
Flow & Grow - These have an exciting texture that can be described as a mix between fake snow and modeling clay. Flow & Grow is soft, feather-light and wonderful to play with. Squeeze and let go and marvel at how it expands. It is important to remember that Flow & Grow can crumble so we recommend that you always sit at a table when playing with it.
Magic Snake and Rubik's Cube - These are three-dimensional puzzles that can be very difficult to solve. The Rubik's Cube is a color-matching puzzle toy that was originally created to help students with a greater understanding of three-dimensional problems. And the Magic Snake is a snake that has 20 individual assembled pieces that can each be spun in four possible ways. This allows the snake to achieve many different shapes.
Slime - Those who are young today may think that Slime is something that has only been around for a few years, but for those of us who call ourselves adults, it is a welcome return. However, we remember Slime as a gooey mess that was made at home with ingredients found in the kitchen and often ended up being quite a failure.
So how and why did Slime suddenly become so popular again? The answer is ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response), which is a tickling sensation and a reaction to sound, touch or smell stimuli.
When Slime is kneaded, a kind of special sound is created that triggers this phenomenon, and when these are then combined with the feeling in the fingers, the color and the smell, this special form of pleasure arises.
Crazy Aarons Thinking Putty - Puttys are a hard silicone Fidget Toy that can be kneaded, split, sculpted and bounced. Crazy Aarons is an American brand with very good quality in its products. Putty never dries out or smears, which makes it last a long time. In our range you can find everything from luminous to magnetic Crazy Aarons and for many these work just as well as a traditional anti-stress ball.
Crazy Aarons Scentsory Putty - Is a softer, velvety putty that also has a scent. The putty never dries out or smudges, making it long-lasting.
Traditional stress ball - has the classic round shape.
Are Fidget Toys good for those who have difficulty concentrating?
Yes, there are several research reports that show that children with concentration difficulties have an easier time concentrating on the teacher or a task if they have something to hold on to. And a simple google search is enough to see that many psychologists recommend Fidget Toys to those with concentration difficulties or ADHD. They can get an outlet for their energy in a good way and thus also become more focused.
Many schools have chosen to have a box of Fidget Toys and stress balls in the classrooms. This is a way to prevent and help students achieve better results. And if they are in the classroom, accessible to everyone, it creates inclusion and equality in a good way.
What to consider when buying Fidget Toys.
- It is important that your Fidget Toy is CE marked. This guarantees that it is free of toxins and can be used by children. There are many Fidget Toys available from e-retailers that do not meet European requirements, so be very careful that your Fidget Toys are safe to use and do not contain toxins.
- Keep in mind that they won't last for long. Of course, they can't withstand being exposed to sharp objects or high pressure. They can handle normal play, but like all toys, they won't last for long.
- Keep them clean. If a Fidget Toy is used a lot, they should be washed or cleaned with a cloth. Always have clean hands when playing with your Fidget Toy and they will stay fresh longer.
Here you can find all the Fidget Toys that we have at Hurry Skurry.