Fidget toys became popular as entertainment for kids. As time has gone on, fidget toys for autism have become prevalent – and celebrated as easy tools for success in stressful situations.
With overstimulation and stressors affecting children with autism, it can be difficult for them to relax or stay focused. Fidget toys have developed a reputation for keeping anxious hands busy, providing sensory relief, and even increasing focus for children with autism who suffer from anxiety.
Do Fidget Toys Help Anxiety?
Yes, autism fidget toys are fantastic support for relieving anxiety.
The repetitive motions of fidget toys offer relief from built-up nervous energy. They also relax the mind by engaging the senses with their appearance, texture, and movements. If you’re not sure what fidget toys for children are, read more here!
Using a fidget toy in stress-inducing situations can be beneficial for those with sensitivities or disorders. They can help with stressors in new environments and calm the mind as a healthy and focused distraction.
There are plenty of great ways to help your child with sensory issues. We’ve put together fidget toys to choose from, but the best one for you will cater to your preferences and the environments in which you or your child with autism plan to use it.
20 Best Fidget Toys for 2022
- Fidget Spinner
| Pros Variety of colors and styles. Easy for children to use Discreet Safe for young children | Cons One movement |
The fidget spinner is the most popular stress toy, probably the first that comes to mind. Fidget spinners are great sensory tools for treating anxiety in children with autism because of their ability to spin at different speeds while staying silent and not distracting others.
Spinners come in all kinds of colors, patterns, and even shapes, making them visually appealing. Their size makes them perfect for children, not too small to pose as a choking hazard, and not too significant to stand out in a classroom. The only downfall would be that they only offer one repetitive movement.
- Monkey Noodles
| Pros Variety of colors Easy for children to use Discreet Multiple movements Safe for young children | Cons Minimal texture |
You really can’t go wrong choosing monkey noodles for either you or your child. These fidget toys aid in stress and anxiety relief through their stretching movements.
Monkey noodles come in multiple vibrant colors and can be used in quiet environments, although a downside is the minimal texture options available.
- Infinity Cube
| Pros Variety of colors and patterns Easy for children to use Multiple movements | Cons Not suitable for the classroom |
The infinity cube can be opened up and put back together without losing any pieces. It comes in all kinds of colors and patterns and is easy to use for all ages.
Unfortunately, the clicking sounds from putting the pieces together make it unsuitable for typical classroom environments.
- Roller/Magnetic Rings
| Pros Variety of colors and styles Easy for children to use Multiple movements Discreet | Cons Not suitable for younger children |
Roller rings are three magnetic rings that can be connected, disconnected, or spun around with your fingers. They come in different colors, patterns, textures and can be used discreetly in quiet environments.
Due to their detachable pieces, they’re not suitable for younger children for swallowing and choking risks.
- Mini Fidget Spinner
| Pros Variety of colors and styles Easy for children to use Discreet | Cons One movement Not suitable for younger children |
A descendant of the fidget spinner, mini fidget spinners offer the same easy-to-use movements while not quite as many colors and patterns to choose from.
Mini fidget spinners are about half the size of regular-sized fidget spinners, making them not suitable and a potential choking hazard for younger children with autism.
- Fidget Cube
| Pros Variety of colors and styles Easy for children to use Multiple movements Texture | Cons Too loud to use discreetly Not suitable for younger children |
The fidget cube has multiple buttons and turning mechanisms to combat a lack of stimulation. The clicking sounds make it too loud for quiet environments, but there are plenty of choices for colors and styles.
Its easy-to-use buttons are great for children but not suitable for younger children due to their small size.
- Marble Fidgets
| Pros Variety of colors and patterns Easy for children to use Discreet Texture | Cons One movement Not suitable for younger children |
Not as common, marble fidgets are awesome fidget toys for any environment and age group.
Marble fidgets are a mesh material with a marble inside that can be rolled back and forth. They are small, simple to use, quiet, and offer multiple textures.
Being smaller, younger children will need supervision.
- Flip Sequins
| Pros Variety of colors and styles Easy for children to use Discreet Texture Safe for young children | Cons One movement |
Flip sequins are another popular toy that recently boomed in the last decade. Flip sequins come in hundreds of different styles. Stores carry sequin sweaters, pillows, stuffed animals, blankets, even masks.
Their quiet movements make flip sequins work in quiet environments, with the only downside being their minimal functionality.
- Stress Ball
| Pros Variety of styles & colors Easy for children to use Discreet Safe for young children | Cons One motion |
The original fidget toy, the stress ball, is perfect for carrying with you and using in nearly any environment for stress relief.
It’s quiet, simple, and small.
You can find stress balls in all kinds of styles and colors, including different sports balls and even as a cube. The downside is its minimal motions, only allowing for squeezing and maybe tossing from hand to hand.
Overall, the stress ball is a great starter fidget toy for younger children with autism.
- Bubble Pop Fidgets
| Pros Variety of styles & colors Easy for children to use Texture Safe for young children | Cons Too big to use discreetlyToo loud to use discreetly |
Another craze-causing fidget toy is the bubble pop fidget. It is what it sounds like – you simply pop bubbles, simulating the sensation you get from popping bubble wrap. Right off the bat, it hit the mark for visual appeal. They have different shapes and colors; some stores even sell backpacks made with bubble pop fidgets!
The downside is their size and sound; a bubble pop fidget probably wouldn’t be appropriate for public environments like a classroom or work due to their popping noise and their bright colors and larger size making them potentially overstimulating for a child with autism.
However, bubble pops are a superb choice for an energetic child at home, the park, or many social environments.
- Poppin’ Pipes
| Pros Variety of colors Easy for children to use Texture Safe for young children | Cons Too loud to use discreetly |
Poppin’ pipes offer a variety of vibrant colors and are a great option for younger children. Its main function is to be stretched and bent, making it easy to use for all ages.
In quiet environments, poppin’ pipes may not be the best option due to the sound they give off when being stretched.
- Tangle Toy
| Pros Variety of styles & colors Easy for children to use Discreet | Cons Not suitable for younger children |
Tangle toys provide an outlet for stress through twisting movements and improve flexibility in the wrists and hands.
While the main demographic for tangle toys are children, the pieces can come apart, making them unsuitable autism fidget toys for younger children.
For the suitable age group, though, these come in handy in public places as they are small and quiet.
- Roller Chain
| Pros Multiple spinning mechanisms Texture Discreet | Cons Only a few color optionsComplicated for younger childrenNot suitable for younger children |
Offering smooth movement with multiple spinning mechanisms, a roller chain is a good option for people who like texture. The roller chain only comes in a few solid colors for visual appeal.
Roller chains are convenient for public use because they are small (fit around the finger) and offer silent movements.
The mechanisms for this fidget toy will probably be too complicated for some younger children. On top of this, they can be a choking hazard. But for adults, this is an excellent device for relieving stress and offering a finger or hand massage at the same time.
- Fidget Band
| Pros Good for the classroom Easy for children to use Discreet Safe for younger children | Cons Doesn’t appeal to the visual senseRequires user to be sitting in a four-legged chair |
The fidget band wraps around the front two legs of a chair and allows users to bounce their legs and feet off the band. It’s beneficial for children in a classroom, especially if they have excess energy or lack stimulation.
Because of its set-up, this fidget toy only works if the user is in a four-legged chair.
- Putty
| Pros Variety of colors Easy for children to use Discreet | Cons Not suitable for younger children Distracting to user |
Putty comes in different colors and is easy to use, regardless of age. It isn’t as stretchy as slime but can be rolled, squeezed, and shaped.
Breaking into small pieces makes putty a hazard for younger children. Still, it can be an entertaining fidget toy for older children.
For the most part, putty is quiet and discreet. Still, the toy may become a distraction in a learning environment because of its ability to create with it.
- Slime
| Pros Variety of textures & colors Easy for children to use Discreet | Cons Not suitable for younger children Distracting to user |
Similar to putty, slime has all kinds of colors and cool textures. In the last decade, slime has become extremely popular as a sensory relief fidget toy for children with autism.
While the ability to stretch and play with it makes it a good distraction from stress, slime might end up being too distracting in a learning environment.
- Fidget Pen
| Pros Easy for children to use Multiple movements Small and easy to carry | Cons Too loud to use discreetly |
The fidget pen is great for sitting at home or in a bustling coffee shop. The versatile movements give you plenty of fidgeting ability while being small enough to carry with you. A child with autism can use a fidget pen to help strengthen their finger and hand movements.
The downside is the clicking sounds that distract others in a quiet environment.
- Fidget Necklace
| Pros Variety of styles Discreet Texture | Cons Not suitable for children Pricey |
The fidget necklace has rollable beads and charms that can be fidgeted with, although it isn’t a suitable choice for younger children.
Fidget necklaces come in different styles and functions for adults but often cost mid-high double digits.
- Slinky
| Pros Variety of colors and materials Offers multiple movements Easy for children to use Safe for younger children | Cons Not appropriate for the classroom |
You might not have considered this classic childhood toy, but a slinky is a great tool for relieving stress. Perhaps the oldest toy on the list, the slinky comes in different materials and colors and is entertaining for all ages.
Unfortunately, bringing a slinky to class will probably be confiscated
- Rubik’s Cube
| Pros Variety of colors Offers multiple movements Discreet | Cons Not appropriate for the classroom Distracting to user Motions may be too difficult for younger children |
The Rubik’s cube is meant to be a game where you must conform each of its six sides to a single color but is also an outlet for fidgeting while taking on the task.
While Rubik’s cubes ordinarily aren’t loud or significant in size, they can be distracting in quiet environments.
Likewise, the Rubik’s cube is more than a toy, it’s a game, and this makes it unsuitable for the classroom.
What to Consider When Buying a Fidget or Sensory Toy
Just like any other toy or tool for learning, autism fidget toys should be purchased based on your child’s individual needs and preferences. This means you should consider:
- Skills Used: Fidget toys for children with autism can address sensory issues, motor skills, problem solving, and a number of other necessary life skills. Some fidget toys may be overwhelming or too advanced for your child, while others may not provide the correct set of stimulus. Make sure to consider this before purchasing a fidget toy.
- Durability: The goal of using fidget toys for autism is to provide a reliable source of relief. Often, a child might grow to find significant comfort in their fidget toy and use it often. This means durable fidget toys should be considered at a premium, due to cost and lasting familiarity for your child.
- Environment: Your child will potentially be using their fidget toy for anxiety in many daily environments. Make sure to purchase fidget toys for autism that are appropriate for home, school, clinics, and social settings. You may have to use multiple fidget toys in order to meet these needs. The good news is that trying out new fidget toys can be a fun and educational experience for you and your child with autism in natural environment teaching.
Autism & Sensory Processing Disorder Programs at Ally Pediatric Therapy
There’s an assortment of autism fidget toys to choose from in 2022. All kinds of colors, sizes, and movements make it impossible not to find at least one from which you or your child could benefit.
Ally Pediatric Therapy also provides a closer look at buying fidget toys for your child with autism. We’re happy to answer any questions and provide you with the resources you need for your child’s success, so feel free to contact us today!
