Oookay, do not ever bring this to class. [laughing]
♪ [Intro Music] ♪
Before we jump into talking about fidgets and which ones are gonna help us focus:
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Hello Brains!
One of the first episodes that I ever did
was about how fidgets can help us focus.
It was one of the first things that I learned
when I started this channel.
I think because there are so many fidgets
that do make noise or are shiny or sparkly or distracting,
they can sometimes seem more like toys
and I think some people make fidgets that
a lot of teachers are understandably taking these fidgets away.
But there are teachers, it turns out they are big fans of fidgets
because they know that it
We met one of these teachers at VidCon
who actually believed in them
she started a company to make fidgets, and sell fidgets.
So she sent us a package,
I have no idea what's in here.
I'm really curious what a teacher chooses to sell and...
things make good fidgets.
So, let's open the package.
Probably need better scissors.
I don't know if I'm open, I don't wanna cut anything.
Oh my gosh!
It feels like ADHD Christmas!
I already see a couple of my favorites.
I'm so excited right now.
[laughing] Aww!
Ok, this is super fun.
I'm just so excited, these are great!
You can't have this one, I'm already using it.
[laughing]
[whispering] I love this one.
Alright, what is this thing called?
Right, this is an Atom Ball.
This one's almost over-stimulating to me.
It's nice that it's quiet, and I would probably get used to it but
I think because it's new for me, it would actually distract me.
At least at first, and there's like a lot I can do with it
but I think -- I think for something like
anxiety it might be really helpful.
But this would --
Yeah, I know, I would --
I would totally discharge myself with this in class --
I want to -- [laughing]
Yeah, that
that
that probably wouldn't be the best fidget for me
and another teacher friend of mine had a
really good set of rules for fidgets in her classroom.
It can't distract you and it can't distract somebody else.
Yeah --
[giggling]
Ooh, Pull 'N Pops. You pull, it pops.
This already sounds like a terrible idea.
I'm not saying I don't like this.
I'm saying I immediately
feel like it's a toy rather than a fidget.
Oh my god it's cute! It's a narwhal.
[laughing]
I love it already!
This is adorable!
Pretty noisy for a fidget, I would say.
One of the things that I'm finding challenging with this one is
I actually have to think about it.
Because, like, you can't get in a,
like a flow state,
like, you have to do it one way
and then like, almost flip it to do the other way.
And can I use it one-handed?
'Cause, a lot of times I need to
hold something in one hand to fidget with while I write.
What I
I often like to put something on my keychain, besides keys,
so that they're big enough that I can easily find them.
And this is freaking adorable!
So I would totally have this on my keychain.
Probably wouldn't make it into my fidget pile.
Wait --
You pull --
I feel like --
Oh!
That's what you're supposed to -- Ok.
Now that I read the instructions, let's see if I like it.
It's still a two-handed fidget 'cause I can't --
It's a two-handed fidget.
Ooh!
Oh!
Ok, that's kind of satisfying.
Nay!
No! Stay!
Oh, now it's pissing me off!
[laughing] Ok.
'Cause I wanna push all of the buttons in
but I can't.
Having the satisfaction of pushing in one of the buttons
but then like, it pushes another one out.
It feels like Whac-A-Mole which my --
My life already feels like that so like,
this is actually stressing me out more.
If I'm not looking at it, I don't think I mind
because then I squeeze it, pop everything back out,
and then I can just kinda like feel where the bumps are
and push them in.
This one is fine for me as long as I'm not looking at it.
If I'm looking at it then --
I also have mild OCD so I can get a little
obsessed with like making sure that all of them are pushed in and again,
that pisses me off. [laughing]
I feel great, I'm getting a lot of sensory input.
ASMR?
Uhm, that's interesting.
I have not heard of an ASMR toy.
It doesn't mean it's not a thing, let's see what it sounds like.
I feel like the ASMR part is a bit of a stretch.
[laughing] Not gonna lie but -- this is great!
What I like about this is like,
it actually stays in the shape that you squeeze it into.
I like stress balls but
there's something not satisfying about them when you squeeze it
to get the stress out, and then you let go and it goes right back to what it was.
This feels like -- I don't know, like I had a new impact on it.
Like, I'm just like, "aaah! I'm stressed!"
and I'm like, "yes, I see the stress imprints."
I don't know why, it's just really satisfying to me.
And it is quiet enough, I could use this in a class.
So the teacher that sent us these apparently does use this in her classroom
because it can't roll off the desk.
That's not actually something I would've thought of
but yeah, that makes sense.
As helpful as a fidget is, if it rolls off the desk it
I'm a fan! I like this! Stretchy dough ball.
Ooh!
I will immediately lose these.
[laughing]
Ok, maybe not.
I bet they all stick together pretty well.
That's --
They're like greasy.
I don't know if they're supposed to be greasy.
Uhm, interesting.
This is sensory bad to me.
But that doesn't mean it would be to somebody else.
I don't know --
I don't --
No.
I don't like the feel of it.
This is one that I really like visually and I like the idea of
but I am hating touching this thing right now.
No. I'm done. I --
No, I can't do it!
Aww man! It's so cool too!
I wanted to like that one!
I wanna make it clear that this is a
This might work really well for some people, I'm not reviewing it here,
I'm just expressing how I personally feel about it.
Oh! Ok.
Uh, these probably go on pencils, right?
I immediately wanna chew on this. Is that what I'm supposed to --
Ok, I'm supposed to chew on it, cool!
Yeah!
Ah!
Yeah.
Yes for a couple of reasons.
One: you and/or your kid are already chewing on pens anyway and
two: this is a lot safer than getting ink in your mouth.
I'm curious if my pens would fit in it though.
I don't think mine would.
It fits on my pen cap.
Yeah, that's not gonna --
It's not gonna work on my pens.
Maybe --
Kind of, yeah.
Yeah. So it'd work on a pencil.
Oh, alright.
Aww, one of my favorites! Yes, I love these!
Last time I ordered these online I think I they were called the Boink.
Love these! Quiet.
Foldable.
You can stick 'em in your pocket.
They're cheap. You can lose them and that's fine.
This is like a test taking fidget to me.
Like, you're not gonna distract anybody.
But you have something to do while you work.
More fidgets!
Ooh!
Ok, more poppies.
That's another keychain one.
Oh my god! BFF edition, that's really cute.
Like friendship bracelets but you got friendship --
keychains.
This is sushi and it goes with soy sauce.
That's freaking adorable, you guys.
For people with ADHD, we often have trouble with friendships
and a lot of a struggle to make and keep friends and
are rejected, honestly, so often in our lives that like, we start to expect it.
And so having some sort of visual cue or reminder that somebody cares,
I think it's really sweet.
I like the idea of this regardless of it being an effective fidget
in the classroom or whatever, it's just --
It's like, a reminder that somebody likes you.
And it's a reminder that you have a friend.
Pal, you wanna be the sushi to my soy sauce?
[Palestrina] Aww, thank you! I feel so honored!
Yeah, ok. These are cute, I like these ones.
It's the big present!
When I was a kid, at Christmas, there was always the "big present".
Like, my mom would always be like, "ok, this is your big present."
So I would know to get excited about it and also like, understand that like,
this is why like, the rest of the presents are a little smaller 'cause
this one's a little bigger, or nicer, or we spent a little more money on it.
This feels like my big present.
I don't know how much these are but like, this looks --
This looks pretty cool.
Finger Slug.
Oh my god!
I'll be honest, this feels like a kids' toy.
Uhm, but a pretty cool kids' toy.
100% I should
But it's super cool!
It sounded really nice, here --
[whispering] ASMR.
The movement is really nice too. It's really smooth and you can move
side to side pretty easily and up and down pretty easily.
The rainbows, this is just really sensory good in general.
It sounds good, it feels good, it's adorable, it's real cute.
This almost feels meditative.
I honestly love how creative fidget toys are getting.
They really are sensory toys, now like, they're great for a sensory diet.
This is giving me a lot of visual input, it's giving me a lot of tactile input,
auditory input, it sounds really good.
And if you don't know what a sensory diet is, we all need sensory input,
just like we need food, or water.
And if we don't get this sensory input that we need,
we might have a little bit of a harder time that day.
And different kids need different types of sensory input.
You can look up "sensory diet" to try and get a sense of that.
And adults need sensory input too.
And basically, how a kid or adult is acting up can indicate
what kind of sensory input they're missing.
And when in doubt, just include a bunch of things.
This is
I'm just gonna do this.
Anyway, nice -- nice to see you, Brains.
Uh, I'll just be here, if anyone needs me.
Ok.
Spikey Squeeze Ball!
Filled with squishy jelly beans.
I want to touch it!
I want to go to there!
Oh, ok -- Mhm, interesting.
It looks like Boba.
Oh, that is -- Ok, it's a little sticky.
Ok, that's kinda cool!
Whoa, that is a
So the spikes are very soft, the balls inside --
You can actually feel them when you squeeze the ball.
It's really interesting from a visual perspective, it makes some noise.
I think I like this because when I throw it, I can actually catch it.
[Palestrina] I'm curious about this one.
I'm curious about it too.
Color Changing Stress Ball.
What I'm curious about is if it changes color when I'm stressed
'cause that would be valuable.
ADHDers aren't always the most self-aware and so anything that like, gives us input
as to our internal states is probably valuable.
I don't know that that's what this does but I'd be curious.
Mrs. Bench, your TikTok teacher. That is adorable!
Oh!
Alright.
Oh!
Ohhh!
Huh-huh, that's cool!
That's a really good fidget.
Quiet, one-handed, stress ball.
Uhm --
I don't think this changes color based on your mood.
But it does change color when you squeeze it.
So if you squeeze it,
you see the insides, which are green.
So it's purple.
Green!
Purple!
Green!
Purple!
Green!
This could be visually distracting at first but I think it's one of those
fidgets where if you just let your kid play with it, or you play with it
before
the novelty will wear off 'cause it does one thing: it changes colors.
But the texture feels really good to me.
A nice color. It's really cool when it changes.
And there's like stuff inside and it's really cool-looking.
But yeah, quiet, one-handed, and I can use it under the desk.
That's like my thing. And it doesn't roll off the desk.
I see why a teacher made this, is my point.
Pal, catch!
So yeah, uh, whatever you're trying to learn, whether you're doing homework,
classwork, you're trying to learn a new language like me.
I do think fidgets can be really helpful.
It's just a really individual thing.
Again, the goal is to have something that helps you focus or decreases your anxiety
without distracting yourself or anybody around you.
Thank you to Mrs. Bench for sending us all these fidgets, it was really cool
to be able to react to new ones that I hadn't seen before.
And thank you again to Babbel for sponsoring this video.
Without you we couldn't do what we do.
Thank you to my Brain Advocates and all my Patreon Brains
for making it so that we can do things like, go to VidCon and meet
amazing people like Mrs. Bench who are trying to make the world a better place
for those of us who need to fidget.
Like, subscribe, click All The Things
and I will see you next video.
Bye Brains!
♪ [Outro Music] ♪