A stress-relieving toy that uses ball bearings to spin whilst balanced on or held between fingers.
A small widget that utilises ball bearings in its design to harness gyroscopic action and allow the user to spin the mechanism on the out-stretched finger, fidget spinners are a toy that can be spun freely to occupy restless hands.
Fidget spinners come in a variety of designs with Bi-Spinner and triad designs, and can come in different types of metals, from stainless steel, to brass, titanium and copper, with varying price ranges. There are also cheaper plastic spinners available, made with 3D printers.
Invented in the 1990s, fidget spinners have become incredibly popular in 2017 after being featured in Forbes magazine. They were originally intended as a product to develop fine motor skills in children suffering from ADHD, autism and other special education needs. However, they have been commandeered by stressed-out office workers as a method of releasing nervous energy, with a Forbes article stating that they are ‘the must-have office toy for 2017’. They have also become newsworthy due to a number of educational institutions banning them due to problems with distraction in children — the opposite of what they were created for. They were designed with the intention of stress relief and as a calming tool, but have been used for tricks and visual stimulation.
