If you are a parent with school-aged kids, have been on Facebook in the past month, or have a child who requires a fidget toy as part of their educational plan, than you already know about fidget spinners.
They seemed to burst onto the parenting scene recently, and they have become a topic that seems to divide many. Are they helping kids to concentrate? Are they a distraction? Are they just a lot of fun?
Thanks to Tag Along Toys, we have a very cool looking blue camo fidget spinner in our home now. While we haven’t taken it to school yet, it has come along on grocery shopping trips and both kids have taken to playing with it. I’m in the ‘I don’t see anything wrong with these and hopefully they are helping some kids out’ camp
I was hoping a fidget spinner would help my son stop chewing his nails, especially when he’s watching TV. There are times when I’m happy to see him playing with the fidget spinner, distracting himself from chewing or from tossing elastics all over the house (a random thing he would do when he’d spot one!) My daughter likes watching it spin and both use the spinner as a toy, something for enjoyment (see also: bottle flipping).
I think the way it works is pretty neat, and I can see the appeal. I’m finding myself playing with it too! I like the thought of a toy that helps kids in the classroom or at home being accepted by kids of all ages. I don’t find it distracting when the kids are using it, but if I was in a class of 30, trying to get them to learn, maybe I would have a different opinion.
I do hope that bans aren’t something that happen across the schools, or that the popularity prevents kids who need it from being able to use it. I think in general, it’s a fun, interesting toy that doesn’t seem to be problematic or annoying for parents (see also: bottle flipping).
Tag Along Toys has a selection of really neat looking spinners so you can score your own to check it out if interested.
My son’s review:
“It’s awesome”
Me: “Why is it awesome?”
Him: “Because it’s awesome”
(don’t you love answers like that?)
I continue.
“What else?”
“It’s satisfying. I like watching it spin”
That’s an interesting point and while he’s waiting around, if he can spin his spinner, I’m happy for him to do so.
Do you have a fidget spinner?
Disclosure: Tag Along Toys is a blog advertiser and gave me a spinner to try. All opinions are my own. Or my son’s.
I worked at a preschool where these suddenly were accompanying a third of the kids, regularly! Although they all wanted a turn and would fight over them, I can see where the strong sense of curiosity and fascination for this thing comes in. It’s new, it’s different, and it’s safe! Hopefully this can be an outlet for my sons need to always be doing something like a wild boy!