If you’ve been around primary school classrooms lately, you might have seen some kids seated on odd-looking cushions with bumps, nubs, or intriguing textures. These, dubbed fidget cushions, are becoming more and more popular as a tool for children who have trouble focusing and paying attention.
The underlying tenet of fidget cushions is that some children just need to move and wriggle a little while learning to be attentive and engaged. A fidget cushion offers regulated movement and tactile stimulation that can actually increase focus, rather than suppressing that natural want by making them sit ramrod straight and immobile.
“A fidget cushion allows children who have a lot of energy and find it difficult to sit still an outlet for that pent-up fidgeting in a way that doesn’t distract others,” says elementary school instructor Jill Anderson. “I’ve definitely seen some of my students stay on task better during lessons and quiet work time.”
Using Fidget Cushions Though there are many various designs and materials for fidget pillows, most of them have the same characteristics:
Tactile stimulation from bumpy or grooved surfaces that can be touched, poked, or leaned upon
Unstable or inflated surfaces that need very minute movement and muscle involvement to be balanced
Soft, pliable materials that can be handled with the hands to squeeze, stretch, or manipulate
The theory behind these cushions is that by use of tactile manipulation and little, regulated motions, children can release some of their physical restlessness. Meeting that desire for small fidgeting and movement actually makes it simpler to remain motionless and concentrated during work hours.
Studies Point to Potential for Specific Students While the study is still somewhat new, a number of studies indicate that fidget toys and cushions may help students who struggle with attention:
According to a University of California research, students who used an inflatable cushion in the “disc-o-sit” design behaved more on task and with better general attention than those who used regular chairs.
Researchers from an Israeli primary school found that whereas non-hyperactive children did not exhibit any appreciable changes, hyperactive children did.
In a brief study of ADHD students, fidget items increased attention to the subject and decreased physical restlessness.
Educational therapist Janet Bradley says, “A fidget cushion is a simple, unobtrusive tool to allow some movement and organise that extra energy in a less distracting way for the kids who really struggle to stay seated for long periods.”
Not a One Size Fits All Magical Fix Fidget cushions aren’t going to turn all kids into incredibly focused academics over night, of course. For children without serious attention or hyperactivity problems, standard cushions and chairs are nevertheless often preferred.
Anderson warns against putting every kid on a fidget cushion and believing that’s the answer. “It’s just one option some teachers decide to provide for the children who appear to respond well to it.”
Even proponents of fidget cushions stress that they should be seen as a component of a larger strategy for assisting children in focusing. Things that shouldn’t be forgotten are rewards systems, physical activity, lowering distractions, and breaks.
Bradley also emphasises the need of providing children with options and letting them choose the tools that suit them the best. “Don’t impose a fidget cushion on a kid who insists they concentrate better without it; a cushion or chair isn’t a straitjacket.”
Try It With the Appropriate Students Although fidget cushions haven’t exactly proven a miracle worker in the classrooms that have tried them, preliminary studies indicate they could be a helpful alternative for some student groups.
Kids who are very physically restless and struggle to stay sat and focused tend to benefit from utilising a lumpy or inflated cushion either alone or in conjunction with other concentration techniques.
“A fidget cushion gives kids who just can’t stop moving a low-key way to wiggle and fidget that doesn’t disturb anyone,” Anderson says. “It doesn’t work for everyone.”
Any reasonably inexpensive, discreet item like a fidget cushion is worth thinking about as part of an overall plan to help pupils focus their energy into productive learning in a world where more and more children appear to struggle with focus and attention concerns.