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The Inspired Treehouse

Growing healthy bodies and minds through play!

20 Awesome DIY Fidget Toys

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These DIY fidget toys are the perfect way to support kids in the classroom without breaking the bank!

Colorful rubber bands to be used as DIY fidget toys.
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One of the most challenging things about being a school-based therapist is that we’re often faced with very large caseloads and very limited resources.

The good news is that, as therapists, we are trained to problem solve situations and use what we have on hand to conquer just about any roadblock.  Therapists tend to be creative types!

Some of the most commonly asked-for items in a school setting are fidget tools.  Unfortunately, while the fidgets that are available commercially are awesome, they tend to be not-so-budget-friendly.

So what’s a therapist to do?  Turn on that creative brain and try these ideas for DIY fidget toys!  These ideas include items you can make yourself, or super simple, budget-friendly items you can pick up at the dollar store or grocery store.

20 DIY Fidget Toys

1 || Balloons filled with flour or play dough – check out our favorite ideas for DIY balloon fidget toys!

2 || Nuts and bolts

3 || Tube sock filled with dry rice and sewn shut for weight/tactile play

4 || Velcro under the desk or table to run fingers over

5 || Theraband on legs of the desk or chair

6 || Pipe cleaners to twist/wind around fingers

7 || Kneadable erasers or sticky tack

8 || Ziploc bags filled with hair gel or finger paint and taped closed (add buttons, beads, google eyes)

9 || Flexible rubber hair curlers

10 || DIY Zipper bracelets

11 || Flexible straw cut short so the child can bend/flex in his hands

12 || Key rings linked together (try different sizes)

13 || Hair rubber bands

 around wrist

14 || Large key ring with pony beads looped on

15 || Ziploc bags or balloons filled with water beads

16 || Small gel window clingson a piece of laminated card stock

17 || Gear ties

18 || String pony beads onto a pipe cleaner and duct tape either end to a craft stick for child to slide beads up and down.

19 || Pony bead strung onto a jumbo paper clip

20 || Sew a small mesh fabric tube, place a marble inside, and sew ends closed so the child can push the marble back and forth inside the tube.

So now that you have a whole kit of awesome new fidget tools, it’s time to learn about how to introduce fidget toys in the classroom!  Creating DIY fidget toys and introducing them in a classroom setting is an awesome way to deliver push in services!

Other Fun Fidget Ideas:

Hand Strengthening Fidget

DIY Balloon Fidget Toys

Fidget Spinner Alternatives

What Are Fidget Toys?

How to Introduce Fidget Tools in the Classroom

The Inspired Treehouse - These DIY fidget toys are the perfect way to support kids in the classroom without breaking the bank!

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Lauren Drobnjak

Lauren Drobnjak is co-author of The Inspired Treehouse blog and a pediatric physical therapist who currently practices in the educational environment. She has been a physical therapist for 18 years, with 17 of those years specifically in pediatrics. Her drive to make a difference in the lives of kids has led her entrepreneurial spirit in the direction of creating opportunities for play-based wellness and child development. She is a busy mama of 3 who thrives on chaos. To come down from the stress, Lauren enjoys exercising like she’s still 20, yoga, chocolate, a great book, browsing Pinterest, and anything crafty!

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Comments

  1. Rebecca says

    Like a lot of these ideas. Just have to remember with the first one that if a child has a gluten allergy or sensitivity both commercial playdough and regular flour would have gluten.

    • Adtrka says

      My kid actually went on this website and made a lot of them herself! She took random things and I was confused until she told me!

  5. SheilaJEnsminger says

    Thanks for sharing 20 awesome DIY fidget toys because I was looking for it online but can’t find any good ones yet. I also want to know about slots online au but can’t find them anywhere. I love to real money games that is why I am searching for it online so that I can earn some money.

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