The best cheap fidget toys for anxiety in 2022

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A fidget that interests people of all ages with anxiety needs to be fun and easy to use without making adults feel childish. WTYCD’s retro fidget toy does just that. The small game controller is discreet and has eight different play and touch functions — including four colored buttons, a joystick, a textured roller, a gear scroller, a switch, a dial, a keyhole and a pickaxe. This fidget can be used at home, at work, at school, or while traveling, but note that two of the colored buttons make a slight noise (similar to a pen clicking).

Use the clasp to add a bracelet or add to a key ring.

Best features:

• Pocket size and lightweight; fits in the hand of an adult and a child
• It comes in eight different colors and designs, as well as a two-pack option for $10

Amazon

One of the most popular fidget toys for anxious adults is the fidget cube, and Appash offers an excellent affordable and sturdy option. The six-sided fidget has seven functions – a joystick, a group of five buttons, a switch, a dial, gears, a silver ball and a large smooth button. In addition, the cube is made of soft textured rubber, so each side is smooth and elegant. It easily flips from one textured side to the other and is designed to keep your hands busy during long meetings, classes, or periods of anxiety. Available in six different colors.

Note that the switch, buttons and gears make a slight clicking sound.

Best features:

• Portable, fits in a pocket
• Seven functions in one small fidget

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Pop It balls combine two popular fidgets — a pop it and a stress ball. This set of four balls is covered with many raised bumps that can be pushed and squeezed. Made of non-toxic silicone, the rainbow colored balls are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and are very lightweight. As a sensory toy, fidgets offer texture, noise and stress relief to anxious hands. They are also easy to clean.

If you decide to use them in a classroom, be aware that they make noise.

Best features:

• Makes popping noises
• All the benefits of the stress ball

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Fidget toys for kids should be fun enough to occupy their busy hands. These brightly colored, textured and plastic pop up tubes are guaranteed to catch their attention. Each set comes with four pop tubes for one low price. Like Lego and other building blocks, you can even connect multiple pop-up tubes together to make larger tubes. Rigid tubes can be pulled and bent to make shapes, letters or words. Whenever a tube is pulled or pushed together, it makes a sound similar to the bending of a straw. Let your little ones play on their own with these fidgets or join in the fun.

Be aware, however, that tubes can become punctured during rough play. If you use them in the classroom, be aware that they make noise.

Best features:

• Fun texture and sounds
• Can connect pipes together for more play

Amazon

These non-toxic, non-latex and hypoallergenic stress balls are great for students in the classroom. Each ball is filled with jelly water pearls, making them fun to squish and squeeze. One set comes with three stress balls with water beads and there are several colors and sizes available. The best thing about these fidget balls is that they make almost no noise and therefore will not interfere with the class. At home, students can also throw, bounce and play catch with these fidgets.

Keep in mind that these fidgets may not be as durable as their more expensive counterparts.

Best features:

• Quiet, discreet stress ball
• Customer service will offer a refund or replacement within 90 days

When the body is under stress and anxiety, it often reacts in a physical way known as nervousness. This fidgeting is due to discomfort and may look like a tapping foot or trouble sitting still. Fidget toys are a way to calm that anxiety and keep the mind focused and calm on the task at hand. They can direct the anxious energy somewhere else so that your mind is clear enough to continue through a work meeting or an important lecture.

Research into the effectiveness of fidget toys is still new and has mixed results. Some children and adults seem to benefit from fidgets, while others find them distracting. Many of the studies on fidget toys are for other uses, such as improving attention and focus, and not specifically for anxiety. More research needs to be done. However, based on many first-hand accounts of those who use fidgets, they can often help calm the mind.

Fidget toys are affordable and now relatively affordable. You can find inexpensive fidget toys on Amazon or at department stores like Walmart or Target. Your local grocery store may even carry some fidgets.

However, Amazon usually has the best prices on fidget toys. They even offer variety packs of 50 small fidgets or less for around $20. Here’s a variety pack for $17.

The most stress-relieving fidget for you is a personal choice. While studies on the effectiveness of fidget toys on anxiety are weak, there are many groups of people who swear by them. There are so many different types to choose from and try, from stress balls to Pop Its, fidget rings and cubes to fidget spinners. If one doesn’t work for you, try another.

If you’re not satisfied with the prices of cheap fidget toys online, you can always make your own at home. They are quite simple and many require only a few materials. You can make a bead toy with jumbo paper clips and any colored beads (although perler beads may work best). The possibilities are endless and making these fidgets is a great arts and crafts project for toddlers.