Focusing our partners on regulating their breathing, will in turn, help regulate their heart beat and the results can often then be seen in lowering blood pressure. We’ve focused on compact sized, light weight items, as well as affordability.

 

  • ICOSA ATOMIC FIDGET BALLS are easily manipulated, almost to the point of the user not even needing to concentrate on their movements while in hand. Encouraging the user to move from random fluid movement of the balls, to actually concentrating on the feel of the balls as they move will capture their thoughts slowly moving them away their anxiety or stressor.

 

  • EXPANDING SPHERE BALLS are a fave on our team, and come in different sizes. Pick up two of them so that both partners are able to use one at the same time. Practice expanding them in and out slowly while each partner draws breath in at the same speed as the expansions going on. Breath in as you enlarge the spheres, out while you compress them softly back in. Practicing this exercise a head of time allows for their use during an anxiety attack or during a moment when trying to focus through pain becomes relevant. Whether you’re together using them in the long run, so that one of you is visually exampling this, or one of you find yourself alone needing to repeat the images of your times in their head, it does work to slow things down. These also work great with those with fine motor skill considerations. ---Note* Hyperventilating into a paper bag has the advantage of returning air differentials which can be helpful to someone trying to catch their breath. We fully support that practice over use of the Sphere Balls. Again, practicing it using the spheres is meant for slowing the train down.

 

  • 20 QUESTIONS HANDHELD ELECTRONIC GAME is a small little game that allows the user to pick any day to day inanimate object (within reason), and the game will then ask up to but no more than 20 yes or no facts about that object, which the user must respond to. At the end of the questions, the toy will ask if what they’ve arrived at is the item the user was thinkin about. It’s ridiculous how frequently it’s 100% accurate. But for a couple of minutes, it will hold the users thoughts, and that breaks the pattern sometimes just enough to accomplish lowering both the respiratory rate as well as the BP numbers.

 

  • MAGNETIC DESK SCULPTURE FIDGETS are available from multiple manufacturers, and in several different styles. From balls, to butterflies, poker cards to nuts-n-bolts. Whatever you think would best hold their attention, it’s a calming activity. Note* Pay attention to how many balls come with those type of sets, as some companies appear to offer more balls than others, but not all of the balls are actually magnets, which affects the global effect of how the sculptures come together.

 

  • SLINKYS have been around for forever. Pacing them back and forth in your hands at a slow speed and concentrating on the sound, the feel of the rings movements, watching visually, or closing your eyes to focus on the rhythm, produces a calming sensation. There are several sizes of Slinkys, as well as ones made from plastic rather than metal, should that be an advantage.

 

  • Another long time staple in the toy world is the ETCH A SKETCH. They come in two sizes, the standard large and now, also a mini. Whether they’re used to focus on in creating a visual art on screen, or simply rolling the knobs back and forth leaving a straight line which results in a quiet mesmerizing movement, it can help slow down breathing and heart rate by shear repetitious movement. The mini is pocket sized and won’t set off metal detectors so in court, on airline flights, or waiting for news in a doctor’s office, it can be available as a fidget whether visible or not.

 

  • The TOUCHABLE BUBBLE mixture is a bit thicker than typical bubble mixes. It means less breakage in the bubbles as they’re being blown. They also last longer in the air and can be kept aloft in the air once they’re floating which allows for again, a soft purposeful breath of air. Both of those processes encourage focus, and because this mix is stronger, its mesmerizing to catch and hold them. A quiet, gentle activity to engage body as well as the mind.

 

  • Zimpli Kids GELLI BAFF is an instant add water to create slime product. Why do we place it here? Because it can be sectioned out into small snack sized containers with lids or even zip-lock baggies and placed inside a large paper cup, where the user can opt for either cold or warm water to be added. The mix creates exactly what it implies, only this is a heavier duty slime, so it’s a nice option for handling. The texture for those who aren’t tactile defensive in that realm is soothing, pliable, and has proven to be calming by many users. When their ready, it can then be disposed of. There are Playdough and clay options which also allow for squeezing and handling, but they come with a smell, which sometimes isn’t helpful, and they don’t allow for the temperature choice options either.

 

  • Hand held Liquid Motion Bubble Timers are an inexpensive, compact item well worth keeping around. The slow movement of the colored oil bubbles through the water make for a simple way to focus on everything inside of you slowing down too. There are several companies that market these. One worthy of a mention, is the ZIG ZAG LIQUID DROP DESK SITTER by WMU. It moves small red bubbles down several landscaped ramps in a very mesmerizing way, depositing them in a bubble mass at the bottom, while you also see the top section slowly evaporate away as the bubbles leave into the shoot. No matter which section you watch, it’s soothing.

 

  • MINI WOODEN BOWLING SET By Glantop . Here you have a small, personal, bowling alley, without all the loud background noise. Players roll their choice of 6 differing sized metal balls down a well-constructed legit wooden alley to knock down the pins. It makes our list because of the repetition, and because the different sized balls allow for the player to continue to focus as they challenge themselves (if they opt to) in going for the strike with small and smaller balls.