The use of fidgets to improve self-regulation in the classroom is growing in popularity, and for good reason. Research supports that movement and tactile input is helpful for kids who struggle with attention, focus and sensory processing. For that matter, fidgeting during class can be helpful for all students. Movement enhances learning by engaging both hemispheres of the brain. When this happens, focus and concentration are heightened. When used correctly, fidgets (such as tangles, fidget cubes, silly putty, and stress balls) can increase active listening, calm anxiety, and channel excess energy to accommodate students' developmental need for movement. When used incorrectly, however, all of the aforementioned benefits can go right out the window.

Students often misuse fidgets simply because they have not been given clear instructions on how and when to use them. When this happens, a potentially useful tool unfortunately becomes an unhelpful distraction. A general rule of thumb is that a fidget is a tool to help improve focus; it is not a toy.

Fidgets should be used silently and kept underneath a student's desk or table, or on his/her lap. Fidgets are for hands, not for eyes. In other words, fidgets should not be a visual distraction for their users or for the classmates of their users. Fidgets should not be thrown, passed around, balanced on your head, or stuck all over your hands (as was the fate recently of several batches of slime in the Middle School.)

Students should learn to identify when they need a fidget and when they don't. Some may need help keeping restless fingers busy during instruction, or anxious minds focused while taking tests. If a student finds himself frequently desiring to move in a certain class, asking for bathroom breaks, clicking her pen, talking too frequently or interrupting, these all can be signs that a fidget might be helpful during that particular part of the day. Typically, students do not need a use a fidget when the classroom activities already involve movement or hands-on learning.

Finally, if one particular type of fidget proves too distracting or too likely to get stuck all over your hands (insert winky face here), it might just be that a different fidget tool would be more appropriate and effective. Remember, the purpose of a fidget is tactile input and movement, not entertainment.

With a little pre-teaching, most students who truly benefit from fidgets can learn to adhere to these basic rules and guidelines for effective use. If you think a fidget might be a useful tool to improve your child's learning, don't hesitate to reach out to your division's school psychologist or counselor.