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Have You a Caught The Fidget Frenzy?

Sales of fidget spinners are skyrocketing. Every child is begging to own one and even adults are buying them for themselves! I learned about them recently through my daughter-in-law. My grandson was begging her for fidget spinner. So, ever the indulgent grandmother,  I went exploring to fill that wish.

What is a Fidget Spinner?

Made with gears and various materials (plastic and metal) the sole purpose of the spinner is to spin! Hold the toy between your thumb and forefinger and the internal gears allow the toy to spin fast and smoothly. A brilliant woman named Catherine Henninger, invented the fidget spinner in 1993 in response to hearing about children throwing rocks at people, including the police, while visiting her sister in Israel. The patent expired in 2005. Henninger, a special needs worker, believed that the spinner could help improve focus for special needs children and adults with autism and ADD/ADHD. Many toys are created to teach skills, amuse or even annoy us (think about Rubik’s cube).

Where Can I Buy One?

Fidget Spinners can be bought in large retail department stores, small Mom & Pop stores and online. Prices range online from  .99¢ for a cheaply made model to up $600 for a 9 Gear. I settled on a $5 Batman shaped fidget spinner at a new variety store in Erie, Pennsylvania for my seven year old grandson. I shopped online and found the same item for $1.99 plus shipping on eBay.

Are Fidget Spinners Safe?

Controversy abounds regarding this gadget. Reports are floating in around the world over of risk of choking and accidental injury attributed to fidget spinners. Poorly made devices may break and young children are at risk of choking. One article reports Ireland seized 200,000 imported fidget spinners after a choking hazard was identified.

Some schools have banned fidget spinners because some educators argue that children are distracted by them.

If you are a high roller, check out  some top dollar fidget spinners from around the world.  Which one would you like? Do you think that they are beneficial? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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What do you think?

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Written by Wandrnrose7

18 Comments

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  1. My kids just got fidget spinners this week. They really do spin for a long time! The kids like to take them to school. At my younger child’s school, the kids use them during free time. The older kids sometimes use them to focus during lectures. Supposedly, it does work.

  2. And as a grandmother I bought two. For my 8-year-old grandson, and for the little one she wanted to have her own, she’s only 4 years old. They carry them even in school. I do not agree with that. But their school is not forbidden.

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