3 Things to Look for in a Fidget Spinner (According to My Children)

Thank you to Oriental Trading Company for providing supplies for our service project in exchange for our sharing my children's tips about fidget spinners.  All opinions expressed are our own.

It used to be that fidget toys were only associated with children who have special needs when it comes to a variety of learning and social situations.  This is definitely no longer the case.  For example, in my oldest son's middle school, fidgets are allowed in the classroom for every student. Yes, some students have them for fun, but many find them beneficial and that fidgets can actually help them focus.

My children are 10, 10, and 13.  Yes, they have fallen into the fidget craze, especially when it comes to fidget spinners.  Each of my children owns multiple spinners.  I have to admit, it was tough figuring out which ones to purchase.  I didn't want to spend too much money, but I also didn't want to buy something too inexpensive that might not work well.  After having owned quite a few, and having played with the fidget spinners that belonged to their classmates at school, I asked my 3 children to each share their best tips about choosing the right fidget spinner.


3 Tips for Choosing a Fidget Spinner . . .

1.  Choose a Quiet Fidget Spinner - According to my 13 year old son, having a quiet spinner is important at school.  You need to look for one with good ball bearings.  A noisy spinner can be distracting to others, causing the teacher to ask that it be put away.

2.  Choose a Metal Fidget Spinner - Speed is important to my 10 year old son.  If that's the case for your child, then he recommends choosing a metal fidget spinner because they spin the fastest.

3.  Choose a Multi-Colored Fidget Spinner - According to my 10 year old daughter, multi-colored fidget spinners look cooler while spinning than solid colored spinners.  She recommends choosing cool fidget spinners with fun designs and lots of colors.  (An added bonus? Choosing a unique fidget spinner will help prevent any confusion about which one belongs to which child, both at home and at school.)

Do you have any tips about choosing the right fidget spinner? Share them with us in a comment here.

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Is It Too Early to Think Stocking Stuffers? New Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putties are Here!

Thank you to Crazy Aaron's Putty World for providing samples of Thinking Putty for us to base this review upon.  All opinions are our own.

Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty has long been a favorite nontoxic tactile fidget activity in our home. Our first Thinking Putty was a small tin of it and both my kids love the way it felt and how strong and flexible it was. We’ve owned other kinds of Thinking Putty since our first, and we’ve always loved them. When I was offered a review of Crazy Aaron’s newest Thinking Putties, I was excited and knew my kiddos would be as well. We received the Phantom and Super Magnetic putties and think they’re both really fun.

The Phantom putty comes in two kinds, Foxfire and Arctic Flare, and both react to a  blacklight  (included). We received Foxfire Thinking Putty and it’s green in color until it meets the blacklight when it then becomes blue. This Thinking Putty is really fun and the kids have loved writing messages to each other and decorating their creations with faces, eyeballs, etc. The Phantom putty is really cool and provided my children with hours of entertainment.

The Super Magnetic Thinking Putty comes in four varieties: Tidal Wave, Strange Attractor, Reactive Razz, and Quicksilver. We received the Quicksilver and were instantly captivated by this unique Thinking Putty. This putty comes with a ceramic magnet that you can use to “charge” the putty and make it magnetic. From there, the possibilities are endless!

You can pick up small metal objects, such as paperclips, make it levitate with the help of the magnet, and more. This putty is really cool and my kids started experimenting with what kinds of things they could pick up with the magnetic putty.

All of Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty products are very well made and come in their own storage tin.  They retail for about $14.95 each on their website, www.puttyworld.com. You can learn more about Crazy’s Aaron’s products there or on their Facebook and Twitter pages.  These little tins of fun would most certainly make a unique stocking stuffer or Easter basket toys!

Finding Balance With Asperger's: The Sensory Seekers Fidget Kit . . . a Therapy Shoppe Exclusive!

Thank you to the Therapy Shoppe for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Sensory issues are common for kids with Asperger's like Quinn, and fidgets are a very necessary part of his everyday life. We love having a large variety of fidgets so he never gets bored and we can have some all ready for him in the car and out in public. The Sensory Seekers Fidget Kit, and exclusive kit from the Therapy Shoppe, is a great kit that helps us expand our fidget supply with some unique and different toys to occupy Quinn’s hands.

The Sensory Seekers Fidget Kit contains 7 quiet fidgets to give tactile input, help kids learn to self-calm, and help them focus. The fidgets included are the Jumbo Porcupine Ball, Squiggle Band, Tickley Tactile Ball, Brain Noodle, Thinking Putty, Sensory Finger Squeezer, and Fidgeting Fleece Bag. Each fidget is fun, colorful, and provides tons of positive sensory input without being over-stimulating or requiring batteries.


The Jumbo Porcupine Ball, Squiggle Band, and Tickley Tactile Ball are each rubbery little toys that are stretchy and they feel good against your skin but provide lots of tactile input. The Brain Noodle is exactly like a giant pipe cleaner and it’s really fun to bend, unbend, shape, and wrap around your hands to keep your hands busy. The Fidgeting Fleece Bag is a little bean bag that has a fleece exterior so it’s soft against skin, but fun to toss from hand to hand. The Thinking Putty is much like Silly Putty but it’s iridescent and it’s great for building hand strength along with making things. Last but not least, the Sensory Finger Squeezer is a little rubber ring to squeeze that has bumps around it for added tactile input. Each fidget is great and Quinn loves playing with them all.

As with all the Therapy Shoppe’s products, each fidget is really well made and will last for a long time if they’re not abused. You can purchase this and all the Therapy Shoppe’s specialty products on their website, www.therapyshoppe.com. This kit retails for $19.99.

Finding Balance With Asperger's: A Sensory Gel Pad Self-Calming Tool

The Therapy Shoppe is one of my all-time favorite sites for Autism therapy and school supplies, and they’ve made me happy again with their Bahama Blue Sensory Gel Pad. I homeschool my 5 ½ year old Aspie, Quinn, so I know firsthand his struggles with being patient and quiet in school. This 7”x16” squishy gel pad is filled with “bahama blue” colored gel that calms my fidgety child while tons of glittery stars mesmerize him. The 2 flat marbles and 3 black rings inside provide sensory input and keep his restless hands busy while he does his lessons. This versatile, self-calming tool is great for working on fine motor skills along with strengthening and helping with visual motor skills as well.


Quinn and I both love this gel pad. We’ve been wanting one for awhile and it’s proven most useful. The light amount of pressure it puts on him along with the cooling sensation it provides also give him much-needed proprioceptive input while keeping his hands busy. This item has quickly become a vital part of our school day and, because it’s well made, I know it will be around for a long time.

The Therapy Shoppe has tons of great products for all children, but their specialty is sensory-lacking children. You can visit their website to see this and all their amazing products at www.therapyshoppe.com. This Bahama Blue Sensory Gel Pad retails for $24.99.

Thank you to The Therapy Shoppe for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Finding Balance With Asperger's: A New Classroom Sensory Kit

When it comes to classroom settings, many kids on the Autism Spectrum have difficulty staying “tuned in” to their teachers, which is why kits like the New Classroom Sensory Kit #1 from The Therapy Shoppe are great.  Designed by seasoned school therapists, this new kit has an amazing selection of tools that help ASD kids stay focused and attentive. This kit features a small “wiggle” disc, pencil grip, squishy squeeze ball, kneadable eraser, small deep pressure belt, chewy necklace with a red super chew, and a fidgeting foot band.

My son, Quinn, is homeschooled, so I know firsthand what his attention span is like. He always has done better when he has something mindless keeping everything but his brain occupied, so I knew that this kit would be perfect for him.

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The Classroom Sensory Kit has something for all his parts: a “wiggle seat” for his hips, chewy for his mouth, pressure belt for his waist, squishy ball and eraser for his hands, and the stretchy band for his feet. He doesn’t usually use them all at once, but he has and he loves that he has the choices available. All of these are great fidgets and help build proprioceptive input, which is something many kids on the spectrum need help with. Quinn’s occupational therapist says this kit is one of the best she’s ever seen all rolled into one.

Quinn’s concentration has improved tenfold with this set and I would highly recommend it for any child who has difficulty sitting still. Sometimes that little extra bit of sensory input helps more than you’d realize. As with all Therapy Shoppe’s products, they’re all made with high quality materials so they’ll last for a long time, even with regular use. You can purchase this and all Therapy Shoppe’s amazing things on their website, www.therapyshoppe.com. This set retails for $49.99.

Thank you to The Therapy Shoppe for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Finding Balance With Asperger's: A New Fidget Kit from The Therapy Shoppe

I won’t bore you with all the details of why we use fidgets for Quinn, since I did that in my first review. I will say that we can never have too many fidgets. They get lost or broken or he just plain gets bored with them. We also have several of the “busy hands bags” that I talked about last time, so we need enough fidgets to fill each bag and keep him entertained or engaged, depending on the situation. The great thing about each of the fidget kits from The Therapy Shoppe is that they are not the same.




The Focusing Fidget Kit #2 has a mini-eye poppin’ creature whose eyeballs pop out when squeezed, color changing ball, spiky pickle fidget which has soft spikes that provide tactile feedback, a tin of Thinking Putty which is very similar to Silly Putty but more iridescent, a small tub of Playfoam, a giant nut and bolt, 2 pencil critter fidgets, 3 fuzzy tye-dye balls, 2 starburst linkers, and an adorable squeezie animal (Quinn got a cat). Each toy keeps his hands busy, but some, like the eye poppin’ creature, help develop fine motor skills as well. Each of these toys has been a great addition to our bags and Quinn’s really enjoyed playing with them all.

The Focusing Fidget Kit #2 can be purchased for $19.99 at www.therapyshoppe.com.

Thank you to The Therapy Shoppe for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Finding Balance With Asperger's: Make "Busy Hand Bags" with the Focusing Fidget Kit

Quinn, my 5 year old son, has Asperger’s and with that comes many sensory processing issues. When doing any activity that requires him to be still, such as school work, story time at the library, movies, waiting rooms, and much more, he needs something to keep his hands busy. This is especially true when trying to get him to pay attention because he simply concentrates better when his hands aren’t idle. Because of this, we’ve created several  “busy hands bags” so that no matter what situation we’re in, we have fidget toys on hand for him to use. We have one at home, one in a to-go bag that he carries with him to most places we visit, one in my purse (just in case he forgets his bag at home), and one in the car.

The Therapy Shoppe was kind enough to send me their 16-piece Focusing Fidget Kit, which has been an amazing addition to our busy hands bags and really helped me round out each bag with a few more engaging and unique items. This set includes 15 quiet fidgets and one noisy one, which, for us, is for at-home purposes only. The fidgets in this kit are an inside-out ball, Silly Putty, stretchy string (2 pack), fidget pencils (2), an Earth squeeze ball, fidget finger springs (3), mini porcupine balls (3), Ultimate Wire Fidgeter, Noodle Doodle, and the noisy fidget, a Super Tooob.

Inside-Out Ball is a ball with rubber spikes hanging from it, but smooth on the inside and it is reversible for added fun and stimulation. Quinn loves this one because it’s like nothing he’s ever seen before. He loves flipping it inside and back over and trapping air inside it and squeezing it to make a bubble. Silly Putty is the exact same Silly Putty you know and love. Silly Putty is something we use frequently for Quinn because it builds hand strength with its thick consistency, but it still easy enough to use that he doesn’t get frustrated. The Stretchy String pack is another favorite of Quinn’s. The strings stretch out really, really far and then shrink back down to size. I will warn you though, if that thing hits you it HURTS!

The Fidget Pencils are one of my favorite things in the bunch. The pencils are just ordinary pencils but the end of it is a nut and bolt that he can turn and turn to keep his hands busy while his mind is occupied. I especially love this because, when he’s doing schoolwork, he already uses a pencil, so this isn’t an addition to things he uses, it’s useful all on its own! Also, the bolts slide off the ends of the pencils so he can use them on whatever pencil he is particularly fond of (which varies day-to-day). The Earth Squeeze Ball is an Earth-shaped stress ball that is easy to squeeze and really helps Quinn to release frustration sometimes. Fidgeting Finger Springs are tiny pieces of plastic springs that are made for pinching and watching it spring back. Simple concept, works like a charm.

Mini Porcupine Balls are like tiny Koosh balls that used to be a big fad when I was in school. These smaller ones are perfect for sensory input and Quinn loves rolling them around with his palms, up and down his arms and through his fingers. The Ultimate Wire Fidgeter is something I have never seen before and it is really neat. It’s hard to explain, so I included a video to show how it works instead of trying to type it out. A Noodle Doodle is a hollow piece of rubber that is super stretchy, much like the stretchy string but on a smaller scale (and less painful!). Finally, the Super Tooob is a hollow piece of plastic that accordions into it, making a very satisfying sound. Quinn loves stretching this one out, then collapsing it over and over, which is why this is really only for at home and not for doing anything that requires even partial silence.

The Ultimate Wire Fidgeter and the Super Tooob . . . 

The Focusing Fidget Kit can be purchased at www.therapyshoppe.com for $19.99. This kit is not recommended for children under 3 because of small pieces that present a choking hazard but is perfect for school-aged children.  Visit The Therapy Shoppe for more useful tools for teachers, therapists, and parents who have children in their lives with autism.

Thank you to The Therapy Shoppe for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Finding Balance With Asperger's: Kneadable Fidget Erasers & Bead Activity

Since my 5 year old son, Quinn, has a fine motor delay relating to his Asperger’s diagnosis, I am always looking for fun, unique activities for him to do to strengthen his hands and fingers and develop that lacking pincer grasp. He, like many kids on the spectrum, also utilizes fidget toys to keep his hands occupied while his brain is working. Quinn uses fidgets frequently because he is much more able to concentrate when his hands are busy. Kneadable erasers are a great tool for these things.

We were sent a set of 4 Scented Kneadable Fidget Erasers from The Therapy Shoppe. These are fun and different because they come in a variety of scents and they each come with their own little “suitcase” to store them in.

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These erasers are a perfect consistency for squeezing and kneading and, even though they are thick and dense, they are not so much so that my son cannot manipulate them. He loves to be absentmindedly playing with them while he watches TV, does his lessons, listens to books, and more. We have also created a fun activity with these that he loves doing . . .

ACTIVITY:  We take some small plastic beads that we had around the house and we “hide” them inside the erasers and Quinn kneads and manipulates the eraser to remove the beads. The beads are small, so it’s a tricky activity. We even do timed races to make it more fun and challenging.

Kneadable erasers would be fun for any school-aged child and can be used as a great fidget toy, a sensory input activity, and a tool to help develop fine motor skills. You can purchase these Scented Kneadable Fidget Erasers at the Therapy Shoppe for $0.99 each or $22.99 for a 25 pack.


Thank you to the Therapy Shoppe for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.