Tips for Using Fidgets in the Classroom

Embrace the fidgets!

Fidgets can be valuable classroom tools if you know how to choose them (and students know when to use them). Students with sensory needs—or those who have a hard time focusing—can benefit from things that help them release anxiety and use up excess energy.

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But fidget toys can also be distracting if not carefully chosen. Following these 5 tips–inspired by special educator Braxton Hall’s Edutopia article about choosing the right fidgets for students with sensory needs–will help you turn these tiny toys into teaching tools: https://edut.to/3Z1MP3U

Special thanks to occupational therapist Lauren Brukner for helping us select which fidgets to include in this video and for providing additional tips. Brukner says one key is to help students understand which fidgets match the state of regulation they’re seeking, and keep the fidgets in bins labeled to match, so they’re easy to find when needed. Brukner also suggests modeling the correct usage of each fidget for your students to avoid misuse.


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