Any good ideas for small fidget toys--for one whose mind gets bored very easily? Drs Hallowell and Ratey recommend adults carry one.

I apologize if this question has been answered elsewhere.

Thanks in advance.

DBR

At Wal-Mart I found these things called tangles. Its hard to explain what it is but go to www.tangletoys.com (http://www.tangletoys.com) I bring it to school with me and it helps me think.

really can someone order me one i need one. My b-day is coming soon.

they sell them at Wal-Mart

well, if it doesn't have to be super small,a GBA micro with a Warioware cartridge could do the trick. This is a key chain sized GameBoy advance machine that just came out. The hype probably makes it sounds smaller than it really is,but it should easily fit into a pocket. Warioware is actually a collection of very simple 10 second mini games rather than a full length game you need to keep track of what's going on for.

I love tangles, too stellato!!

I've always been a fan of anything I can roll around in my fingers. I normally just spin my keys on my finger or something if I'm waiting. Otherwise, I've found various ways to amuse myself. The purpose of a fidget toy is to expel hyperactive energy mindlessly, without either being loud or distracting to those around you, or interfering in your ability to stay attentive to the task at hand...at least, that's always what my parents and doctor used them for since I was like 9, heh.

My daughter uses one of those "ball" thingies that are like a mass of rubber strings combined together when she's at her therapy sessions. It keeps her from picking at herself and fidgeting so much.

Take a look at www.myaddstore.com (http://www.myaddstore.com) there are a lot of fidgets there. Also the new book Fidget to Focus is great too.

Silly Putty. I use it everyday I have a class. Its quiet and fun to create things with.

Well, Sunday I went to Target and bought something called "The Game of Perfection" (remember I have OCD :-) It's probablysmall enough to fit in my pocket.

I also bought a Tangle toy.

After I open the perfection game, I'll let you know what it's about.

Though I'm 44, I feel like a kid with new toys :-)

DBR

The tangles look great! Now I have to go to Walmart...

I should get a keychain tangle. My keychain has a metal disk on a leather flap and I use it like a clicker, shake it in rhythm. Makes my husband nuts. He'd prefer the tangle I think!

It's strange that Us ADDers detest certain sounds... Well i know i do...
Pen tapping etc

And yet we can do these noises ourselves without aggitating ourselves!

I have 3 other diagnosed ADDers in this house and i get so pis*ed off with some of the noises they make! and visa versa!

Anyway having said that, i tend to think carefully about my figit toy.. i don't want to aggitate others with my figiting!

At the moment, i'm figiting with a picture-poster sticky stuff 'White tack' (though there is Blue-tack too).

Squeezing the tack stuff in my hand and the more i squeeze it the softer it gets, which is a nice sensation in my hand.

If i didn't have the tack in my hand, i would pick the skin, that's around my fingernails!

One of my ADDer children has always chewn on things... from a baby to the present day of 14 years of age.

My undiagnosed ADDer Daughter bites her nails(they look so very sore!).

I looked for the tangles at Walmart and had no luck. Any idea what area they are in.

usually right by the checkout ... you could check the toy section too though ...

i've been carrying a small polished rock lately. look for those at a specialty toy store ... sometimes they have displays of various types of rocks. or, a worry stone, bead shops sometimes carry those. i have a friend who wears a 'worry bracelet.'

my kids have rubbery-squishy frogs and lizards. it's made from the same material as those sticky hands that you can slap at a window ... or the little toys you can toss against a window or wall and they kinda roll down.

lately, i've also been knitting. not as good if you're wanting to be discrete though....

*tons* of ideas here (http://store.yahoo.com/opg/stressreliever.html) ... our downtown toystore sells WikkiSticks -- wax-coated fiber or something, looks like it'd be good for practicing the alphabet or just playing with ... i'm going to go pick some up this afternoon.

I play Solitaire on my iPod while I'm on the bus. I also do loads of crossword puzzles. I bought a book of crosswords that I'll be able to complete relatively easily, which keeps my frustration down while occupying my hands and mind. My newest "fidget" is practicing the accordion while watching tv...much to the delight of my roommates.

Cara

I go nowhere without a pen that unscrews. If I'm in a meeting or a workshop I need something that keeps my hands busy and the twisting and untwisting is very soothing to me. I love rubberbands too but the pen has less chance of being notices or of me shooting it accendentally and hurting someone.
I can always just see myself hitting my prinical or a parent with a rubberband that slipped during a meeting.

I bought a tangle today and I LOVE IT! What a great 2 dollars spend!!

Great Idea!

Actually when I went to the Tangle Toys website, I realize that I bought one of these already. Heh. I was standing in line at Wally World and grabbed a couple. I thought they would keep me busy. They were fun for a while then it kinda bored me. (I get bored very easily) Usually I have to write, I dont care what it is, it can be anything. Copying something, redoing papers ect. Keeps me busy. Now, Im making up new papers on my laptop for work. I enjoy doing it and it keeps me busy.

But thanks for the ideas im gonna check out the sites and see what else I can find.

There is a handheld exercise device called the Power ball. It gyrates and there is also one that lights up the faster it goes. I am kind of addicted to exercise so I can take this anywhere and fidget as well as exercise a little bit at the same time.

My friend uses play-doh. I myself, I don't have a fidget toy per-say, but I do tend to tap my pencils on things that won't make noise (soft cover book, bookbag, et cetera). Even more often I tend to sit there and look around for something interesting in the room, while bouncing a leg, and possibly playing the tune to a song I like with my fingers... Maybe I do need a fidget toy...

I pen flip- its a debate habit that i picked up. I flip the pen around my thumb and its really fun to do. I also take apart my pens. I also have a bad habit of chewing on my pens when figiting with them gets boring, freud would say i have an oral fixatoin :P

"I flip the pen around my thumb and its really fun to do."
LOL, my son does that while he is supposed to be doing his homework..It annoys the hell out of me!!
I grab my kids hands and rub my fingers on their palms...they HATE it :-)

A friend of mine who is a fourth grade teacher kept Silly Putty in her class for one boy. It worked great. He'd play with it under his desk, and didn't disturb any of the other students. Fourth grade is the year students start moving from class to class here. She said she'd often get requests to send the silly putty to other classes for him.

Tangles are really fantastic. I originally bought them for my son and found that I liked them soooo much I had to go back and get some for myself. I now have a pretty long string that just moves and twists and is wonderful.

some might have said it already , but a TANGLE JR is a good one. i have two of them, and i gave one to my boyfriend (who has add) with his christmas present. he loves it. he played with it on a long car trip (luckily he wasnt the one driving!!! haha), and he sits with it and watches tv.

i dont know if he uses it at the moment or if he forgot about it.

i have a whole box of little things for myself when i'm bored

blue tack, chewing gum (flavoured), paper clips, a tiny little bell, a bouncy ball, juggling balls, little origami paper, stretchy stuff... i dont know what else.

Karennerak --

Wow! I'm a Karen, too, and I never thought I'd see that someone else picks at the skin around their fingers. I thought I was just too weird. Right now my thumbs are almost raw -- it's worse when I'm stressed. Guess I need some fidget toys, too! I'm going on a long car trip soon, so I really need to get some fidget fun before then.

And I know EXACTLY what you mean about being oversensitive to noises. My two older ADD kids (20 and 17) have always ragged at each for what seemed to me like simply one of them breathing too loud. But then I realized things bug me the same way, too. Yet, we all do little things that make noises that drive each other nuts, without even realizing it!

Take a look at www.myaddstore.com (http://www.myaddstore.com) there are a lot of fidgets there. Also the new book Fidget to Focus is great too.OMG Tara.....that site is awesome!!

I have a celtic thumb ring, that's on the wide side, that the outer part spins. Instead of hanging around with the wringing of the hands and nervous scratching or folding any paper I'm holding to the size of a postage stamp, i'll twirl my ring with my forefinger, and I love it!

Stress balls! my schools office of disability services has them for free.. i go through a few a month.. the funny thing is when i play with it in class other students ask if they can play with it too. I also carry around a racketball when Im outside, although I almost got run over a few times after chasing it into the street! I also knit... productive way to fidget!

I do latch hooks sometimes. Very good way to keep mind and fingers busy

I found the ultimate Fidget! There's this site specifically for Fidgets! They're these bendy things, and I bring them with me wherever I go, I even got a keychain one which I just hook on my belt strap. It helped me out tremendously, here's the site: www.gotfidgets.com

One of the presents I got for Christmas was a powerball, I use it all the time at home, just absentmindedly spinning it in one hand, when that hand gets tired I switch, I use it when reading or playing computer games, browsing forums, it's just something to do, I could stare at it for aaaaaaaaaaaaages since it has a neon blue light that glows and spins once you have it going, you can also see the speed it's rotating thanks to an LCD screen on the top.

link: http://www.play.com/Gadgets/Gadgets/4-/174948/Powerball-Neon-Blue-Pro/Product.html

there are many different versions of it but that is the one I have.

What a great thread, I'm glad to see it resurrected!

Someone already mentioned "spinner rings" (do a google search for lots of sources) ..... there's also a very inexpensive alternative. Pick up key rings (hardware store, key making section of any store) that will fit around your finger. Buy some small beads (with openings large enough for the key ring to fit through) and string a few beads onto the ring. Put on your finger with the beads on the inside, and you have a small item to "spin" that is pretty inconspicuous!

I keep a supply of these for my older special education students who need something to fidget with but who are reluctant to use something 'obvious' in class.

Gotta love the low-tech solutions!

Rebs

Here's another fidget toy I found that looks interesting and promising for those of us who fidget and squirm! :D

They're called
Tan gles

Here's the web~link They look like the sort of thing we AD{H}Der's Love. I've not tried them but would if I could get my hands on them. LOL!!! :D :D :D Here's the Web link:

http://www.tangletoys.com/catalog/

I know what I'm adding to my next Wish list! :D Love that Sooper Dooper :cool: Red Power Ball and a Tangle too!!!

:D:D:D:D:D:D

I found this at a 7-11 its roughly ball shape, rubbery (jelly), with um, spines? sticking completely out all over it, with a rubbery (jelly) ring. Mine is blue. You can squeeze it and a bubble sticks out with sprinkles in it. It smells nice. you can put a finger through the ring and use the ball like a paddle ball, your hand being the paddle. you can grab a spine and make the ball act like a yo yo kinda it has the up and down motion springy.
Wish I could get a picture it. lol

Great Idea!

Actually when I went to the Tangle Toys website, I realize that I bought one of these already. Heh. I was standing in line at Wally World and grabbed a couple. I thought they would keep me busy. They were fun for a while then it kinda bored me. (I get bored very easily) Usually I have to write, I dont care what it is, it can be anything. Copying something, redoing papers ect. Keeps me busy. Now, Im making up new papers on my laptop for work. I enjoy doing it and it keeps me busy.

But thanks for the ideas im gonna check out the sites and see what else I can find.


Funny how the know that those most likely to like Tangles are also those who are most likely to make impulse buys while having to wait in line.....

The evilness.......

But yeah, I'ma gonna get one of those too. They look cool!

I have a fidgety 1st grade boy. He is having a little trouble reading. We put together a box of fidgets for him to hold while reading. There is everything from a clear smooth stone to stress balls to kush balls and of course his newest treasure a heart shaped rock from the play ground. They seem to help him keep his body still and keep him from rubbing his right eye. I haven't tried one myself...... I twirl my hair when I read but I confess that I do love to play with them and test them out.

Funny, you should ask. I'm a leg-jiggler mainly, but have tons of nervous energy. Never really thought of allowing myself to have a toy until reading this forum (I was still pretending to be my vision of a "normal adult" then). Anyhow, this thread planted the seed and a little while back I bought a bead-filled ball - bigger and harder to squish than a stress ball. I liked it because I could really squeeze and squish aggressively with both hands. Felt nice! Within a couple of days, I wanted to carry it around with me everywhere. Anyhow, it didn't take long at all until the glued-plug opened up and beads started spilling out. Bummer. Guess they weren't made for that kind of treatment.

I went to Walmart Monday looking for something to replace it and picked up a Kush-type creature (mostly it has fat starfish-like arms) and this cool ball that's made of soft memory-foam or something. They're in the toys section, and all look like different types of sports balls. You can squish them like crazy, they squish really small, then come right back to their original shape. I've been squishing mine pretty hard the last few days and it's still as good as new.

Still I like the feel of a stress-ball better, that's actually what I was looking for. Funny how businesses often give them away free but you can't find one at Walmart. But now I'm wondering if all sand/bead filled balls will have the very limited lifetime of my first one (less than a week, I think).

I don't get so much out of hard little fiddling toys like the tangles. I need something I can put some real energy into.

I think I'll pick up a few more of those squishy balls next time I'm at Walmart.

Okay it's not soft or squishy but I wouldn't have gotten through most of my University lectures without my Rubiks cube :)

I use paper clips a lot. They help because in class they are quiet. I love to click the top of pens as well, but you can imagine the complaints I got with that one!

:o I'm a pen clicker and tapper too. I know it bothers people, but I would almost certainly lose any and all fidget toys within a few days.

gripmaster, always have a tooth pick when I walk out the door, always have a notecard with a word definition- not for class- just to quiz myself when I am bored- a) it improves memory b) I learn a new word. also idk if anyone here smokes much but check this out: www.crown7.com I always have ciggies when I get drunk and I love playing with smokes- this crown7 seems like a great alternative. google e-cigarette