Be sure to read to the end of this post for instructions on how to enter a giveaway!
For a lot of kids – and even adults – sitting still is a hard thing to do! When kids are expected to sit still through a class or in an hour long therapy session, many of them get restless, start daydreaming, or squirm around in their seat. For kids with ADHD or anxiety problems, it’s even harder to try to stay focused.
When kids come to see me for therapy, many of them have trouble sitting still if we’re trying to talk about something or if they’re listening while their parents are updating me on what’s been going on. Many parents, wanting their kids to behave, remind them to sit still and not touch anything without asking, but I don’t mind if kids get up and walk around then room, bounce a ball, play with playdough or sand, or doodle while we talk. And I try to give every kid permission right away to do this, pointing out some of the options in the room.
Giving kids appropriate ways to fidget and move their body can actually lower anxiety, help them stay focused, and increase their ability to learning. When adults try to force anxious or high energy kids to sit still, they are setting themselves up for unnecessary struggles and may end up decreasing their child’s functioning.
As kids are heading back to school right now, I thought it would be a good time to share ideas for positive fidgeting in the therapy room and in the classroom. If you’re a school counselor – encourage the teachers to let students have small fidget object in class. If you’re a counselor or therapist in an office setting, make sure you have small toys and fidgets readily available so that kids know that they have this option. And advocate to the teachers if you think fidgets or stress toys would help your client at school.
Here are some of the fidget and sensory items that I have in my therapy room:
Playdough
Silly Putty
Different types of balls
Kinetic Sand
Inspiration or Worry Stones
Art supplies
Buddha Board
Pipe Cleaners
Rubber bands
Balloon Stress Balls
Calming Glitter Jar
Tangle toy
Some other activities that can provide more input and motion but still allow kids to focus include walking around, bouncing on an exercise ball, listening to music, chewing gum, and doing art or coloring.
Easy fidgets for kids to try at school include a stress ball, pipe cleaner, marble maze (thanks to a client for telling me about this!), tangle, doing origami, doodling, small glitter jar, beaded bracelet, worry stone, adhesive velcro dots under the desk, and sitting on an exercise ball.
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- Fidget item basket in my therapy room
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- Stones for inspiration or for worry fidgets
A warning that I give all kids is that they can try a fidget or activity, but might lose it if it does become a distraction. Kids do need to learn that fidgeting doesn’t necessarily mean “playing” with something. It can also be a trial and error process to find the best options, so I encourage kids to try different things out and then see what helps. For example, some kids can doodle and listen to the teacher; others get hyperfocused on the drawing and don’t hear a single word of the lesson.
A note for adults: You might benefit from intentional fidgeting too! Try having a small fidget toy, walking around while you’re on a phone call, doodling during a meeting, or playing music in the background while you work.
So if you want to help your clients be able to focus better and calm anxieties, encourage them to give intentional fidgeting a try!
Giveaway! I’m giving away a Marble Maze fidget to one reader. If you want to enter, you have 3 chances to win.
1. Comment below and share what your favorite fidget item or activity is.
2. Follow me on Instagram @creativityintherapy and comment on the fidget basket picture.
3. Tag a friend in your Instagram comment to get an extra entry.
Giveaway winner will be chosen on Sept. 9th.
Update: Linda B. was the winner! Thanks to everyone that commented here and on Instagram!
For more ideas and tips about art in therapy, be sure to sign up for the newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bOu5yj
Carolyn Mehlomakulu, LMFT-S, ATR is an art therapist in Austin, Texas who works with children, teens, and families. For more information about individual therapy, teen and child counseling, family therapy, teen group therapy, and art therapy services, please visit: www.therapywithcarolyn.com.
This blog is not intended to diagnose or treat any mental health conditions. All directives, interventions, and ideas should be used by qualified individuals within the appropriate bounds of their education, training, and scope of practice. Information presented in this blog does not replace professional training in child and family therapy, art therapy, or play therapy.
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I like a range of things to fidget with: doodling, tangles, and a squeeze ball are a few favorites!
I have a bunch of random fidget toys throughout my office, but my favorite are clay worry stones that I have some clients make in session. I usually have them make 5, they select one to take home and the rest get put into a glass jar that other clients can use and take!
I love that idea! What a great activity – you’re clients get the benefits of being creative, have a new tool to help them, and are practicing kindness towards others.
I am a first year teacher and have “felt” that fidgeting is a helpful thing to cognitive processing but you nailed it in this article. Thank-you for the encouragement and confirmation that it’s cool to fidget whilst learning. 🙂
Hi Carolyn,
Thank you for all your great posts. I have a child who is on the autism spectrum and another child who can be very dysregulated due to trauma and neglect before adoption. They both respond really well to fidgets. such as “thinking putty”, doodling, chewing gum, kushy balls. I use these also with the kids I work with on the Inpatient psych unit. Thanks !!!
Items to fidget with are great for adults too in my previous position in Human Resources we always used to put Play Doh, Stress Balls and Building Blocks on the table to play with whilst they are training it seemed to bring their focus to their training. No yawning or falling asleep during a session!!!!
Hi Amanda – I love that you were providing fidgets for adults. What a great reminder that they can be helpful for all ages.
Kneadable erasers work well for school aged children.
I forgot about that one – great idea!
I had a Buddha Board in my old office when I worked in a residential treatment facility. It worked for both clients and staff members that would come in to talk to me. I also had numerous quotes on the walls that clients could read to help give some talking points as well help them calm down. Now I work at an elementary school as a community and school based counselor and have found that pipecleaners work really well!
Hi Crystal – Thanks for sharing. I actually got the pipe cleaner idea from a school counselor.
I work with adults with anxiety issues and they have trouble sitting in group therapy. I love the marble maze, and the idea of the basket full of toys — I started collecting things immediately after reading this blog. Thank you so much for the idea! Love it!!
Hi Linda, thanks for reading. Glad to hear that you were inspired to put together a fidget basket for your group!
I have multiple fidget toys in my office for both children and adults to use. My favorite is the Tangle because of the ability to twist it, wind it, turn it, and take it apart. I also have a variety of stress balls and a couple glitter-filled magic wands. I have never seen the marble maze, but I am definitely interested in trying one out!
Thanks for sharing the informative article.