Fidgets for all
Fidgets are pretty swell. I think we can all agree on that. They’re so swell, in fact, that I’ve decided to write a part 2 of the fidget newsletter I wrote in May.
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Kanoodle
You read that right, there is a brain teaser called Kanoodle. I use it as a fidget when I need to stay attentive in a meeting but need to do something with my hands. Think of Kanoodle as a tactile Tetris. The puzzle contains 12 different shapes and 200 challenges. The object is to make a solid wall with the shapes. It’s trickier than it sounds. It has held my attention through many meetings while still allowing me to pay attention and understand the material being presented to me.
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Image Description: The Kanoodle consists of a small, black plastic case that is filled with different colored balls that are about the size of marbles. Inside the case are concave insets which the balls fit into. Balls that are the same color, are actually connected to each other in a distinct pattern. This plays into the puzzle aspect of this fidget.
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Dimpl
This is a fidget I found accidentally while taking a short cut through the baby section at Target. Dimpl is a popper toy by Fat Brain Toys. It has smooth edges, and if you are like me, the newer popper toys are hard because of the odd border around the perimeter. With Dimpl it is soft and rounded. It contains 5 poppers of different shapes and colors. They are soft silicone and can provide hours of quiet fidgeting.
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Image Description: A Dimpl toy is made of a combination of hard white plastic and rubber silicone. The silicone makes up half domes of varying sizes. The domes are placed in a random array, but so that their bases are on the same level. The white plastic connects the bases of the domes, as if they were inset onto an oddly shaped plate. The silicone domes are each a different color: orange, green, pink, blue, and yellow. You can change whether the domes are concave or convex by pressing on them – this is the essence of the fidget.
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Spinning Rings
Unlike standard rings, these have a piece around the outside of the ring that spins or has different textures. If you’re looking for something discreet this is the way to go. These are standard rings, but a smaller movable ring is placed in the middle of the original ring. This can go on your finger and you can spin it with your thumb for hours. It is a good mindless fidget that does not draw attention. There are different textures and materials you can get the rings in as well. Rings come in various sizes to fit someone with skinny fingers all the way up to someone like me, who has stubby sausage fingers. They’re pretty cool, and rather stylish. Here are some examples of rings you can find on Etsy.
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Image Description: There are three “spinning rings” depicted. The one in the upper left is made of two connecting rings, one black and one silver. They spin around one another. The ring in the middle is all black, but the outside of the ring spins, and has a rough texture. The third ring has a silver outside and a black chain is inset in the middle. This is the part of the ring that spins.
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Remember that you can make a fidget out of just about anything, you don’t even need to be searching for a fidget to find something awesome. The Kanoodle and the Dimpl were never intended to be fidgets but can be used as such. Keep your eyes peeled for odd things, you’ll be amazed at what can turn into a fidget.
The contents of this newsletter were submitted by: Caelan Manning; A.T Consultant for HireAbility VT serving the St. Johnsbury, White River Junction, Brattleboro, and Springfield offices.
Contact the Vermont Assistive Technology Program by calling 1-800-750-6355 or by emailing dail.atinfo@vermont.gov. For more information visit our website (www.atp.vermont.gov). And if there is a topic that you'd like to see covered, please feel free to let us know!
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