Introduction:
Fidgets are a fantastic tool for helping students concentrate and stay focused in the classroom. These DIY fidgets are not only affordable but also allow teachers to customize them according to their students’ needs. Here are 20 super simple DIY fidgets that you can make for your classroom.
1. Stress Balls – Fill a small balloon with flour, rice, or any sensory filler you like. Tie it off, and you have an instant stress-relieving fidget toy!
2. Pencil Grip – Wrap pipe cleaners around a pencil, securing the ends under your grip, to create a fun and colorful fidget.
3. Spinner Rings – Attach a small ball-bearing spinner onto an adjustable ring to create an easy-to-use wearable fidget.
4. Velcro Strips – Simply attach two strips of Velcro together, one fuzzy side up and one prickly side down, and you have a quiet but satisfying fidget activity.
5. Paper Clips – Bend paperclips into fun shapes that snap back into place when stretched or squeezed.
6. Bubble Wrap Bracelet – Tape a strip of bubble wrap around your wrist, and enjoy popping the bubbles during downtime in class.
7. Sensory Bottles – Fill small travel-sized shampoo bottles with colored water, glitter, beads, or other items for kids to shake and watch as they settle.
8. Putty – Combine glue, liquid starch, and food coloring to make your own colorful, moldable putty for students to manipulate during class.
9. Tangle-Free Coil Toy – Wind several different colored pipe cleaners together in random patterns for a quiet and tangle-free manipulative toy.
10. Cardboard Rubik’s Cube – Cut out small cardboard squares and glue them onto a larger cube template to mimic the classic puzzle toy’s design.
11. Beaded Necklace – String beads on an elastic cord to make an easily accessible fidget tool that can be safely worn around the neck.
12. Finger Labyrinths – Draw or print a small labyrinth design onto a piece of cardstock, then trace with glue and sprinkle sand or glitter on top to create a textured finger maze.
13. Fabric Scraps – A simple assortment of various fabric scraps can provide interesting textures for students to explore with their hands.
14. Straw Beads – Cut drinking straws into small segments and thread them onto string or elastic for an easy-to-make, lightweight fidget toy.
15. DIY Fidget Spinner – Use wooden dowels, beads, and a small ball bearing to create your own simple, customizable fidget spinner.
16. Rubber Band Ball – Loop several rubber bands together, wrapping them around each other until you have a satisfyingly squishy ball of rubber bands for kids to squeeze and stretch.
17. Lego Keychain – Attach a small piece of Lego to a keychain ring for a highly portable and customizable fidget toy that can be built upon during breaks.
18. Playdough – Make your own playdough using flour, salt, water, and food coloring for an inexpensive and versatile fidget option.
19. Marble Maze Folders – Glue felt or foam sheets inside a plastic folder with a marble inside the felt layers, creating pathways for the marble to travel through as students manipulate it during class.
20. Zipper Bracelet – Sew zippers onto fabric strips to make bracelets that students can repetitively zip and unzip as a calming sensory activity.
Conclusion:
With these 20 super simple DIY fidget ideas, you can easily create affordable and enjoyable tools to help your students stay focused in the classroom.
