Fidget Spinners - Money Pit or Legit Toy?

[ammonite]

superkiasudad:

Why the fidget spinner isn’t just a toy fad, it helps kids and adults concentrate

http://www.youngparents.com.sg/development/this-fidget-spinner-good-for-kids-adhd/

I personally feel that teenages are taking this fad a little too far. My boy keeps pestering us for money to buy the latest fidget toy with better bearings or one in a different colour! How it even helps with their concentration or focus is beyond my comprehension. Also why are they so expensive? My boy keeps harping on this metal version that costs more than a hundred dollars!?

Really?! :scared: that's madness, don't even think of it.

My kids don't have any yet but I can imagine it being a useful distraction for ds1 who picks his nails terribly, and ds2 who sometimes worry himself over small things. In fact was what ds2 said to me when we saw a cheapo version at giant - if he has to focus on balancing it, he will have to stop thinking about what is worrying him.

So to me the value of it is, if any, is as a distraction, not to help them focus.

[sharonkhoo]

I think it may have its uses for some kids who genuinely need more stimulation to help them focus. It sound counter-intuitive, but some ADHD kids and others with certain special needs do need more stimulation, either to "drown out" other distractions or because they need more stimulation. For the latter group, if they don’t have enough stimulation, they will make their own, eg. moving their bodies, tilting chairs, fidgeting with other stuff, which could be even more distracting for themselves and others. I am wondering whether my daughter would benefit from one, but she is more inattentive than hyperactive, so I’m not sure. I may get a cheap one and let her try.


But non-SN kids who play with these are just playing! The problem is how a school can apply a rule which allows those SN kids who actually benefit from it to use it, and bar non-SN kids who just want another toy. And the prices of the "good" ones are ridiculous, I feel.

[superkiasudad]

slmkhoo:

I think it may have its uses for some kids who genuinely need more stimulation to help them focus. It sound counter-intuitive, but some ADHD kids and others with certain special needs do need more stimulation, either to \"drown out\" other distractions or because they need more stimulation. For the latter group, if they don't have enough stimulation, they will make their own, eg. moving their bodies, tilting chairs, fidgeting with other stuff, which could be even more distracting for themselves and others. I am wondering whether my daughter would benefit from one, but she is more inattentive than hyperactive, so I'm not sure. I may get a cheap one and let her try.


But non-SN kids who play with these are just playing! The problem is how a school can apply a rule which allows those SN kids who actually benefit from it to use it, and bar non-SN kids who just want another toy. And the prices of the \"good\" ones are ridiculous, I feel.

Yes! I agree that the most of the kids are just buying them to play and also keep up with peer pressure. My boy did mention that his school teacher will confiscate the fidget spinner if the students are found playing with them during lesson time. Not sure what is MOE's stand on this matter, but I did hear about some schools banning the toy outright with no exceptions even for students with ADHD.

[superkiasudad]

http://accdenteach.blogspot.sg/2017/05/figet-spinners-latest-toy-fad-in-sg.html


This article does try to do a little investigative journalism into this silly fad. Quite insightful.

[pinkamoon]

Personally, I feel that most people are not capable of divided attention. To concurrently play with the spinner and do other things like homework, revision, paying attention in class is not really possible for the children. Before this spinner, children were already playing with stationeries and getting them confiscated by teachers. So, I will not get one for my children. Just my personal views.

[floppy]

Nothing more than a glam up spinning top from old times, which incidentally does the same - boost creativity and focus. And not all spinning too are https://foreverspin.com, think DiCaprio's spinning top in Inception.

[jedamum]

My son made a spinning jumping top using correction tape parts and pen spring. That got confiscated by me. I only permit him to press the spring if he needs to fidget. The fidget object should not be stuff that can visually or audibly distract (eg 2 marbles colliding) him if he wants it when doing his homework. Sometimes he pressed on blutack.


There is another item - the fidget cube which I may consider getting if the quality is good. But I may just ask him to construct his own with stationery spare parts he has been collecting.

[janet88]

complete waste of money…just like that kandama (sorry don’t know what’s the spelling).

it’s just a fad.

[ammonite]

slmkhoo:

I think it may have its uses for some kids who genuinely need more stimulation to help them focus. It sound counter-intuitive, but some ADHD kids and others with certain special needs do need more stimulation, either to \"drown out\" other distractions or because they need more stimulation. For the latter group, if they don't have enough stimulation, they will make their own, eg. moving their bodies, tilting chairs, fidgeting with other stuff, which could be even more distracting for themselves and others. I am wondering whether my daughter would benefit from one, but she is more inattentive than hyperactive, so I'm not sure. I may get a cheap one and let her try.

Not sure about other SN, but from my limited knowledge, the kids who are hyPO (as opposed to hyper) on the sensory spectrum do indeed need more stimulation in order to focus. But I had the impression that what worked better is full body stimulation (e.g. Rocking, swinging, trampoline), and a fidget toy is far far from that.

Related to this, some kids who need stimulation to organise their senses for good focus actually need pressure bearing activities, eg push ups, pull ups, push against a wall etc. Non pressure activities (eg rocking, spinning that work well for others) makes them even more disorganised and hard to calm down. Again a fidget toy does not seem to come close in any way for this group.