This New ‘Toy’ Might Be What Your Kid Who Can’t Sit Still Needs

When I’m teaching, it’s not uncommon for students in the first row to get flicked with an errant rubber band. Not because I’m shooting rubber bands at them on purpose, but because I’m a fidget-er.

I fidget.

Always have.

And when I lecture, I usually play with rubber bands. And now, students in the front row flinch when I get too close.

There’s got to be a better way, right?

There is!

Antsy Labs developed the Fidget Cube, a six-sided sensory device (I’m hesitant to call it a toy) that will satisfy even the most fidgety of fidget-ers.

It began as a Kickstarter campaign, and while the original from Ansty Labs is available, the internet is flooded with knock-offs and similarly designed devices.

Antsy Labs describes the Fidget Cube as, “An unusually addicting, high-quality desk toy designed to help you focus. Fidget at work, in class, and at home in style.”

I was introduced to the Fidget Cube by a friend of mine, who's son has ADHD, which she manages without prescription drugs -- instead focusing on diet and behavior modifications. So far, it's been working great for her son.

In the last parent-teacher conference, my son's teachers told me "he's always bouncing around and can't sit still." Even though when he's bouncing about, he's still paying attention. I'm thinking kiddo is a lot like me -- I'm what you call a kinesthetic learner, or tactile learner.

Kinesthetic learning is defined by Wikipedia as "a learning style in which learning takes place by the students carrying out physical activities, rather than listening to a lecture or watching demonstrations. People with a preference for kinesthetic learning are also commonly known as "do-ers"."

The Fidget Cube is available locally at the Toy Loft in East Aurora. It's also widely available online.