How do fidget tools work? And how can they help students learn?

ST. PAUL, Minn. – An item parents likely never had in school is often now in their kids' hands when they step into class. And teachers say it's proven to be vital for some students.

"I have a fifth grader. She needs a stylus for her iPad," said parent Priscilla Smidt of her child's school supply list as she walked around the Como Zoo.

"They had to get headphones to use with their school iPads," said parent Tully Jordan.

Tech is trending as a top supply kids need these days before heading into the classroom, but so too is a tool that on first look might appear to be a toy.

We showed both parents a Pop-It, a silicone tray that mimics bubble wrap in which people push the "poppable" bubbles repeatedly.

Jordan said both of her kids have one attached to their backpacks. Smidt's daughter also had one.

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A Pop-It is just one type of fidget tool. There are multi-function cubes, marbles to slide in a cloth, and soft sticks that twist and bend.

"We use puffy slime that has beads in it for a different texture," said Smidt, a paraprofessional who works with children with special needs.

Fidget tools are showing up with regularity in classrooms nowadays, but that wasn't always the case.

"Before, people were left to sort of jiggle their leg or tap their foot or click their pen or twirl their hair, chew gum," said Dr. Kaz Nelson, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Why might someone fidget? 

"If an individual is having difficulty concentrating or focusing, fidgeting can actually provide the sensory input to the body to improve concentration and focus," said Dr. Nelson. "On the other hand, if an individual is anxious or nervous, this kind of fidgeting can actually soothe and calm the nervous system as a form of self-regulation."  

Focus, concentration, and stress relief can translate to success in a classroom setting. Smidt sees the effects of fidget tools firsthand.

"My [special education] students use them and it keeps their hands busy but they're also focusing. And that's how we do their verbal testing," she said.

A study in 2006 had sixth graders use stress balls while in class. Results showed that it increased attention spans and helped students who struggled to sit still become less of a distraction to others.

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Dr. Nelson says just about any kid could potentially benefit from a fidget tool but especially kids with anxiety, ADD or ADHD, obsessive compulsive disorder, and autism. However, a desire or need to use a fidget tool doesn't automatically mean someone has a disorder or mental illness.

"I think historically there was more of an educational model in these settings of authority and the children needed to sit and behave in a way that fit certain expectations for behavior within a classroom," said Dr. Nelson. 

That meant a kid fidgeting or struggling to sit still might be considered disruptive. She feels perception has changed, and so too has how kids are treated to better promote learning for each individual. 

"Opening up our idea of what does it look like to be a successful student or what do students need to improve their focus. I for one welcome that and see that as a positive step in our deeper understanding of students and their needs," she said.

Should adults consider using fidget tools? Dr. Nelson said absolutely. 

"It's a form of self-coping and self-regulation depending on the person's needs, and none of us are immune to those kinds of needs."