Do you remember the fidget spinner craze in 2017? It’s been followed by the Pop It – which has quickly replaced it as the ‘MUST-HAVE’ toy the world over.
What is a Pop It? It is a silicone toy with pop dimples much like bubble wrap. You can pop the front, then turn it around and pop the back – making it double the fun. It is endless fun and the popularity has spread like wildfire thanks to social media videos.
There are about 2.5 billion people consuming Pop It video content on YouTube and TikTok. Toy stores in the UK are all out of stock and have a waiting list for the next batch.
Besides the fun of popping the bubbles in and out continuously – there is evidence that it assists with concentration in children who suffer from anxiety or sensory disorders.
According to Sensory Processing Disorder Parents Support, Fidgets are great sensory tools for self regulation. They can be calming and help your child with focus and attention. They can reduce stress and anxiety, increase muscle development and they’re great for fine motor skills too.
“This pop bubble fidget is a great sensory tool to relieve yourself, providing great sensory interaction, and is a great fidget tool for hair pullers, skin pickers and other sensory seekers. Bright colours and pleasant sounds are sure to please any child. Push pop bubble fidget sensory toys help to restore the mood, is a home essentials and parent-child games, great for kids with ADD or ADHD and people with OCD or high stress/anxiety levels.”
It is interesting how the sensory toy works – they activate one or more of our senses, either sight, hearing or sense of touch. When you are scared or anxious, playing with an item that looks, sounds and feels different is a great distraction from the big emotion you are feeling.
“So when we are feeling a big emotion – like being scared or worried – then playing with something that looks, feels or sounds different can help take our attention away from that big emotion.
Not all schools allow these tools to be used in the classroom as they are considered toys, but they have been proven to be helpful to certain children and even adults.
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