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Key Takeaways:
- Fidget toys include spinners, balls, cubes, rings, and squishy toys.
- Fidget toys can benefit children with ADHD. They improve development, provide an outlet for excess energy, improve concentration, and promote relaxation.
- Popular fidget toys for ADHD include fidget dice, lap pads, palm weights, chews, and bands.
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Children with hyperactive-impulsive or combined ADHD are likely to fidget and display poor self-control [*]. These habits can disrupt the classroom or even pose negative health consequences. Fortunately, fidget toys for ADHD can offer a sustainable outlet for physical movement and sensory stimulation.
These toys are not just distractions but tools that can enhance concentration and provide healthy stimulation. By allowing kids to better manage their ADHD symptoms, they can potentially improve their academic performance. This guide delves into the ten best toys for children with ADHD.
What are Fidget Toys for ADHD?
Fidget toys for ADHD give children and adolescents something to do with their hands when feeling anxious, hyperactive, or overstimulated. They often come as spinners, balls, cubes, rings, or squish toys. Some are portable, while others are better for home or classroom use.
How Fidget Toys Help Kids & Teens with ADHD
How effective fidget toys are for kids and teens with ADHD ultimately depends on the individual personality and the severity of their diagnosis. However, they generally provide the following advantages:
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Outlet for excess energy. Fidget toys offer a non-disruptive way to release excess energy, especially in structured classroom settings.
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Improved brain development. Fidget toys are excellent for sensory play, which is imperative in a child’s early development. These sensations encourage children to be more exploratory and curious about their environment.
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Enhanced academic performance. Fidget toys improve gross motor movements in children with ADHD, with a 2016 study showing a link between intense physical movement and improved performance in memory tasks [*].
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Better attention span. Physical activity through healthy fidgeting produces dopamine and norepinephrine, improving focus and attention.
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Improved social skills. Fidget toys can help children improve their ADHD social skills by increasing focus and promoting comfort.
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Less ADHD paralysis. Children with ADHD often experience ADHD paralysis, in which they undergo impaired functioning because they are physically or emotionally overwhelmed. Fidget toys provide quick methods for calming down, allowing kids to overcome ADHD paralysis.
10 Best Fidget Toys for Kids & Teens with ADHD
Are you shopping for fidget toys for kids with ADHD? Look no further! We’ve compiled a comprehensive list for you.
1. Fidget Dice
While fidget cubes often do the job, fidget dice provide additional stimulation for adolescents with ADHD. These toys have twelve sides featuring spinners, clickers, clickers, and other add-ons that satisfy different needs and keep children entertained for hours.
$8.49 on Amazon
2. Wikki Sticks
Wikki Sticks are wax and yarn toys that children can squish, sculpt, bend, and even cut to create unique works of art or keep their hands busy. These toys don’t break easily, so they’re ideal for rough players. They benefit children who struggle with fine motor skills and require sensory stimulation [*].
$22.86 on Amazon
3. Spiky Ring
If your child requires tactile stimulation, spiky rings are perfect for sensory-seeking children with ADHD. Your child can twist, squeeze, grab, and poke them when they feel overstimulated or anxious.
Ensure you pick a ring that is BPA-free, hypoallergenic, and dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning.
$10.99 on Amazon
4. Bouncy Band
When children with ADHD feel anxious or restless, they often resort to foot kicking or tapping. Bouncy Bands are an excellent solution for keeping restless legs out of trouble, as they act as a footrest that will keep your child from disturbing others.
According to Bouncy Band’s website, 80% of teachers surveyed said their students were more focused in class and managed to stay on task longer.
$18.99 on Amazon
5. Weighted Stuffed Animal
Weighted toys can benefit children with ADHD by providing deep pressure touch (DPT) that activates the body’s pressure receptors and signals the brain to release serotonin and dopamine. These chemicals promote well-being and relaxation, improve focus, reduce anxiety, and promote better sleep.
These weighted stuffed animals are not only adorable—they help your child feel safe and focused!
$39.99 on Amazon
6. Lap Pad
Like palm weights and gravity blankets, lap pads are great for children with sensory processing disorders. They provide calming pressure—much like a hug! Some lap pads have pockets where children can put their hands inside when feeling antsy. They’re perfect for reading time, homework, or home relaxing.
$67.49 on Amazon
7. Hand Exerciser
Teenagers with ADHD often need to engage their hands. Encourage them to build up their hand and finger muscles for sports or music by using a hand exerciser.
Many hand exercisers feature different tensions. These spring-loaded tools are customizable and silent, making them non-disruptive.
$17.95 on Amazon
8. Pop-It
Pop-Its are made of silicone and feature pokable bubbles that offer calming and repetitive motions. You can find Pop-Its in many shapes and sizes. Some are electronic and feature different game modes, ideal for keeping hyperactive kids occupied in ways that exercise their memory.
$9.69 on Amazon
9. Chew Stixx
Children and teenagers with ADHD may resort to chewing as a negative coping mechanism. They’ll chew pencils, necklaces, or their nails and not often notice when they’re doing it.
Chewing can become dangerous, especially when your child chews on something toxic. Chew Stixx offers a safe alternative for chewing. Some feature different flavors; most are BPA-free and dishwasher-safe for hygiene purposes.
$12.99 on Amazon
10. Fidget Worm
If you’re looking for something portable for your child, try a fidget worm. Fidget worms are crisscross, gridlike, moldable toys. These pocket-sized toys are excellent for relieving stress and boredom. Kids can stretch them and pull them into different shapes.
Twisting and turning this toy is productive and relieving, providing emotional support to children with ADHD.
$15.99 on Amazon
The Bottom Line
Fidget toys provide a non-disruptive way for kids with ADHD to combat restlessness. While fidget toys aren’t a substitute for formal treatment, they can be helpful as part of your child’s behavior management strategy.
Check out our ADHD handouts to provide education and coping skills to help kids better manage ADHD symptoms.
If your child experiences anger outbursts as a result of their ADHD, explore our anger management worksheets as part of their treatment.
Sources:
- “Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.” National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 2023.
- Hartanto TA et al. “A trial-by-trial analysis reveals more intense physical activity is associated with better cognitive control performance in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.” Child Neuropsychology, 2016.
- Cohen EJ, Bravi R, Minciacchi D. “The effect of fidget spinners on fine motor control?” Scientific reports, 2018.
