Fidget Toys Review – All available on Amazon for under $25!

There are a LOT of reasons that a child could benefit from having a fidget toy (or set of fidget toys) and there are a lot of options out there.  We looked at a number of options that cost less than $25 and reviewed them so that you will know which ones will be the best for your child and situation!

Important note: links in this blog post are affiliate links.  If you choose to click on and buy one of these products, ABH may get a small commission.  We use these commissions to fund our low and no cost options. Thank you for your support!

What is a “fidget toy” or “fidget”?

That’s a good question and a great place to start.  The long and the short of it (in my mind, totally cool if you define it differently) is this: a fidget is something that you fidget with, move around, touch, or otherwise use your senses to engage with in order to move away from another thought, feeling, or action.  Fidgets may be used when we are feeling anxious to help calm ourselves and move away from that feeling.  They may be used when we engage in self-injury, like picking at skin, pulling hair, or chewing objects that could hurt us (like pencils or keys).  The take away is fidgets are awesome tools that can be used to help people feel better and stay healthier.

what is the price range for fidgets?

Depends.  There are beautiful playable art pieces that can act as fidgets like this Playable Art Helicone and larger tools like these Sensory Circles that may be helpful for different kiddos.  It’s easy to find options for well over $100.  For our purposes today, I’ve focused on hand-held fidgets with a price range under $25.

Why use fidgets?

Like we talked about above, fidgets are tools to help us move away from the brink and back into a happier and healthier state.  They can be used in simple situations, like how I twiddle small items around my hands when I’m focusing on deep topics and it helps me stay focused.  (Also, twiddle is a fun word…twiddle…focus Kellie!)

We may also use them as we are feeling like injuring ourselves or notice anxiety mounting.  Fidgets can act as a replacement for other more harmful behaviors.

If you are concerned about using fidgets, think about what’s holding you back.  Everyone self-soothes, whether it’s taking a breath or tapping your foot.  It’s ok to reach out for more tools if other things don’t work for you.  There are lots of options and there are bound to be ones that fit your needs and situation.  Let’s talk about them!

Here are five options for under $25 on Amazon (links included)

Option one:

Click here to see this option on Amazon

Good for: Kids who need a distraction or to take a break

• Lots of variety and choice!
• Kids who like textures (the squishy animals have a texture that some kids do not prefer).
• Kids who like puzzles or need options that take focus to fit their needs – the cubes and shape puzzles are high focus fidgets.
• I really like the two options of clicking fidgets (bottom left, cross shape) because you can mix and match the pieces and really get creative!

May not be a great fit for: Kids who are having trouble because they are distracted

• This is not a good fit for some kids who mouth or eat inedible objects, as these are mainly small toys or ones that can be ripped easily.
• Kids who get frustrated by puzzles (I admit the shape puzzles were frustrating for me…)
• Kids who like to whip things around (I’m looking at your stretchy string in the bottom right corner.  I love you but you have have been whipped into me too many times to count).

Option two:

Click here to see this option on Amazon

Good for: Kids who use both of their hands to injure themselves

• Kids who are self-hit or otherwise injure themselves with two hands may find the mesh balls as a good replacement.  The size of the fidget promotes using both hands (instead of playing with one while injuring with another).
• The visual option of oil timer allows for an additional sensory input as well as a fun time keeping device.
• I like that there are several ball options that have different textures.
• There are some larger options in this pack which are suitable for smaller kids (not choke hazard).

May not be a great fit for: Kids who like “seeing what’s inside”

• There are a few options here that have cool gooey things in them and if you have a child who wants to explore toy surgery, keep in mind that these could become messy.
• Kids who get bored easily and need a lot of options (a little less variety here than we saw in Option One).
• Homes with pets may reconsider this one, as several of these toys look like pet toys and may get commandeered by the kitties and puppies.

Option three:

Click here to see this option on Amazon

Good for: Kids who use their fingers to injure themselves

• Things like skin picking and hair pulling may be replaced with a toy like this because it takes up the energy of the fingers (it’s hard to play with this and pick or pull at the same time).
• This is a fairly quiet option and blends in easily, if your child is worried about a stigma for carrying a fidget.
• The rings can be put on a string, necklace, or lanyard so that you don’t lose them.

May not be a great fit for: Kids who dislike the pattern of repeated circles

• Some kids (and adults) simply don’t like seeing some patterns because it makes them uneasy (this is the same for the mesh balls above, that pattern bothers some people).
•  If these are just going to get mixed in with the other magnet, that’s fine!  They will make a great toy for you but won’t be a good fidget option.

Option four:

Click here to see this option on Amazon

Good for: Kids who chew to soothe or use their mouths to self injure

• There are a lot of color and shape options to choose from so your child can pick the ones that they are comfortable wearing/using.
• There are a variety of shapes and textures to try so they can find what fits their sensory needs best.
• These are VERY easy to clean (which I adore).
• The strings can be replaced as needed, no problem.

May not be a great fit for: Kids who don’t use their mouth

• If your child doesn’t use their mouth to soothe or injure themselves, one of these packs is probably not the right choice for you.

Option five:

Click here to see this option on Amazon

Good for: Kids who want to be discrete but need a lot of options

• This all in one device comes in a variety of colors and has a number of different options to fidget with,
• This is a great “non-toy” option that can often fit into a classroom setting.
• The loop can be added to a back, purse, or necklace to help keep track of the fidget.
• This style of fidget can be helpful for decreasing repetitive hand behaviors, like tapping, knuckle cracking, or picking because you can do versions of all of these things with the fidget!

May not be a great fit for: Kids who throw things when upset

• Some kids simply don’t like this fidget because it’s not as “fun” as others.
•  Note that if your child throws things when they are upset, this may not be the best choice as it can get some speed behind it and is small but quite hard.  Save yourself (and your windows) and aim for a softer choice.

In Conclusion

There are lots of affordable fidget options out there.  Depending on your child, the situations they use fidgets in, and the reasons they use them different fidget toys or toy packs could be better for them.  Finding the right fidget (or fidgets) may take some testing and trying out.

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