Sensory Care Message:
It’s Fidget Time!
Dear Sommerfly Community,
Longtime favorites across neurodivergent communities, today we’re talking all about fidgets. Whether it’s putty, a spinner, or anything that pops, one thing is certain: fidget use is loved by many. But as they’ve gone mainstream, we have to ask -where has our focus gone?
Over the past few years, fidget use has exploded in popularity. Though sensory tools have long been used in occupational therapy, the viral rise of gadgets like fidget spinners has shifted the public's understanding. Originally, fidgets were designed to be subtle tools that provide proprioceptive, tactile, or movement input to support regulation and focus—especially for individuals with ADHD, autism, anxiety, or sensory processing challenges. These tools worked by giving the body just enough sensory input for our brains to stay alert without overwhelming or distracting from the primary task at hand.
In contrast, many modern mass-market fidgets are brightly colored, noisy, or require excessive visual or motor attention—pulling focus away from learning rather than supporting it. These tools may provide sensory input, but they often do so at the cost of cognitive engagement.
So, what makes a fidget truly supportive?
A science-backed fidget is quiet, repetitive, non-distracting to others, and tactilely or proprioceptively satisfying. It engages the sensory system just enough to satisfy a need for touch, pressure or movement stimulation while keeping the mind free for attention, memory, and executive function tasks. Research in occupational therapy has shown that regulated sensory input—especially through touch or movement—can improve on-task behavior and decrease stress in people with attention and/or sensory challenges.
In short, the best fidgets are not entertainment—they’re regulation tools, designed to help the nervous system calm to create just the right amount of background stimulation to allow focus to flourish.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our Sommerfly Care Message and we look forward to sending you another one soon!
With care,
Sommerfly ®
