6 Best Stress Relief Toys for Kids UK 2024 | Tangle Jr, Fidget Cube and More
Finding a distraction is an easy task for children, especially when important school work and learning is mean to be their main focus. If your child is constantly tapping, wiggling or looking elsewhere for engagement, then you're in the right place! Stress relief toys, or simply fidget toys, are nifty tools that are proven to help boost concentration, relieve anxiety and help calm children in stressful situations where they feel under pressure and unengaged.
There are endless amounts of stress relief toys out there, and finding the best one for your child can be a baffling job. Luckily, we've done the research for you, and in this article we show you how to choose the perfect toy to keep your child stress-free and engaged. Complete with a ranking of the top 6 best fidget cubes, spinners and sensory toys in the UK on Amazon and eBay, you'll both be feeling calmer in no time.
Quick List - Top Stress Relief Toys for Kids
Sovinia
A Simple Popping Sensation to Satiate That Bubble Wrap Addiction
A recommendation service that carefully researches each product and consults with experts across many disciplines. We are constantly creating new content to provide the best shopping experience from choosing ‘cosmetics’ to ‘food and drink’, ‘home appliances’ to ‘kids and baby’ products, reaching users all across the United Kingdom.
How to Choose Stress Relief Toys for Kids in the UK - Buying Guide
It's a task in itself searching for the perfect toy to help your child, as each one meets different sensory needs and can affect the user in different ways. You know your children better than anyone else, so picking something that they will like, and most importantly not get distracted by, is your first hurdle. Our buying guide will steer you towards picking the right one to benefit your child and keep their stress to a minimum.
Consider the Size of the Toy
As stress relief toys are tactile gadgets, a lot of the choices available are handy little contraptions that can be used by all ages. So you won't struggle to get the ideal shape and size for your child. The perfect candidate will typically be pocket-sized, to allow them to carry the gizmo from place to place with ease.
This also means that your kids won't struggle to manipulate its features, or become distracted figuring out what to do. This isn't to say that the larger options are something to avoid entirely, but due to smaller hands, children may struggle to successfully grasp their device and feel its full benefits.
Materials Can Play a Big Part in the Sensory Experience
Stress relief toys come in a variety of different materials which can suit an individual needs based on their feel, as well as size and shape. As tactile toys, they are there to be fiddled with a lot, so durability is something you need to keep in mind when selecting the right one.
Plastics Can Provide More Sensory Input When Fidgeting
With plastic being a softer and more flexible material you will often find these can befit your child's sensory requirements helping alleviate stress. The ability to bend, squeeze and manipulate plastic fidget toys gives a welcome experience when battling concentration levels and stress.
Unfortunately, due to the softer nature of their material, plastic toys are less durable. So you might find yourself needing to replace them more often than you would like.
Metals Are More Durable but Often Heavier
The durability of metal fidget toys gives your desired plaything a long-lasting life as it can handle extended use and withhold the roughness of an expert fidgeter.
However, these products will typically have slightly more weight behind them and often include smaller parts, such as ball-bearings, which can be a choking hazard if used inappropriately.
Individual Features Can Benefit Stress in Different Ways
Whether it's the feeling of squeezing, bending, twisting or clicking that will reduce the stress in your child, you are sure to find a toy out there. The physical sensations that stress toys provide can help children release built-up adrenaline that is causing upset behind the scenes.
If your child appears to be struggling with pent up frustrations then soft and squeezable toys can help them relax, whereas gadgets that require more hand strength are a good relief for kids that need to channel energy elsewhere to help them focus. Alternatively, for repetitive hand and foot-tapping, something with recurrent moving parts or spinning features can help to soothe and calm.
Try out the different features with your child as the benefits will differ for each user. These toys aren't overly expensive, so it's worth testing a few different types to find out what works perfectly to maintain undisturbed focus when your child needs it most.
Make Sure the Toy Is Age-Appropriate
Stress relief toys can often include small or removable parts which can be hazardous for younger children to play with. If your child is known to chew their playthings then pay close attention to the toy's design to ensure it's appropriate.
We recommend that you always follow the recommended age guideline provided by the manufacturer, to help guarantee your kids are able to safely interact with their new gadgets.
Top 6 Stress Relief Toys For Children in the UK
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Highline Fidget Cube | | A Popular Choice to Suit All Your Child's Fidget Needs | |
2 | ZhengYue Squeeze Beans｜3 Pack | | A Cute and Vibrant Stress Reliever That's Easy to Carry | |
3 | Sovinia Push Pop Bubble Sensory Fidget Toy | | A Simple Popping Sensation to Satiate That Bubble Wrap Addiction | |
4 | Topways Flippy Chain ｜4 Pack | | Delicate Movement With a Satisfying Feel | |
5 | Funxim Infinity Cube | | A Fashionable Design for More Mature Children | |
6 | Baoa Twist and Lock Blocks | | A Simple Design That Will Keep Hands Busy |
A Popular Choice to Suit All Your Child's Fidget Needs
The Fidget Cube is a brilliant starting point to support your child's sensory demands due to its large selection of tactile tools on an easily portable device. This 6-sided cube can be tolled, clicked, spun and much more to make sure your child never grows tired of their new toy.
Built from durable plastic to help it withstand regular handling, the Fidget Cube can even help develop fine motor skills with extended use. It's no wonder it has been growing in popularity over recent years, making for a strong contender to help keep stress down and concentration up!
A Cute and Vibrant Stress Reliever That's Easy to Carry
The Squeeze Beans are fantastic little stress reducers that are playfully squeezed until the peas pop out the pod. The durable plastic means the peas don't fall out when pinching its casing, and a handy keychain allows the toy to be kept safe on a schoolbag.
Each pack of three features it's own unique face on the middle pea, making it a fun and engaging stress relief toy. The soft polyvinyl plastic gives also them a smooth and gentle feel which can help calm in stressful situations.
A Simple Popping Sensation to Satiate That Bubble Wrap Addiction
Push Pop Bubble offers a wonderful stress-relieving pad with an unlimited capacity to chase the high of popping bubble wrap. It's something that children love to do, so this is a great benefit to lower anxiety and stress at the hardest of times.
This cleverly doubles up as a game in itself that can continue to provide never ending amounts of fun for kids to indulge in. Just be aware that if you are looking for a quiet gadget to help your child's stress, then this may not be the ideal suitor for you. Each time a button is pressed it makes a popping noise, which can be distracting to your child and those around them.
Delicate Movement With a Satisfying Feel
These modest toys host bike chain-like links that supply children with effortless rotations using easy hand movements. Its small and simplistic design makes for a distraction-free experience when trying to boost concentration and relieve stress in the classroom or at home.
With four chains supplied in this pack, a lost chain won't have you running to the shop for frequent replacements. Plus, the colourful silicone bands give children the opportunity for fun, fashionable self-expression!
A Fashionable Design for More Mature Children
Funxim's infinity cube is a stylish block built up of 8 sections that allow movement in any direction. With stainless steel bearings, the toy boasts smooth and noise-free movement, which helps relax and relieve stress in children.
The sleek matte design may leave some children bored by its aesthetics, but it's a brilliant gizmo to keep hands busy and minds concentrating. Although it looks like it may be a bulky product to carry around, it can be folded into a neat rectangle that will fit in any pocket or school bag.
A Simple Design That Will Keep Hands Busy
The Twist and Lock Block is a wonderful tool for helping relieve stress in children and keep their hands occupied. The small wooden blocks are held together with a piece of elastic that allow kids to manipulate its shape, which makes for an incredibly fulfilling toy.
Due to being made from wood, it does have a slightly clunky feel and can make some noise when knocking together. But don't let this deter you, as for a reasonable price it's a durable option to start their journey into fidget toys.
How Do Stress Relief Toys Benefit Children?
Much like adults, children often find themselves stressed and anxious in demanding situations. While they may be less understanding of these emotions, they can still be difficult to manage. Studies have shown that fidget toys have a positive impact on a child's wellbeing and learning, with some students with ADHD and learning disabilities seeing an improvement in concentration levels.
Fidget toys host an impressive list of benefits aside from managing stress and concentration, such as improving fine motor skills, assisting hand muscle development and enhancing coordination, just to name a few. So whether you're looking at a stress relief ball, a fidget cube or a spinner, you'll be sure to see something that will benefit your child.
Keep in Mind That Fidget Toys Have the Potential to Distract
As much as fidget toys are there to benefit your children, they can come with a list of distractions that can affect them, or those around them. Take into consideration the impact these toys may have when used in public, in the classroom and even at home.
The sound of rattling ball-bearings and the clicking of a pen can be a huge distraction. This can cause plenty of problems for those around your child, and lead to further stress in certain situations. Be mindful of how and where these toys are going to be used to ensure they aren't overbearing or too loud, to ensure an anxiety-free experience
Similarly, finding something that is beneficial to your child's wellbeing and not just something to flaunt around at breaktime is key in the quest to keep concentration a priority. For example, when the fidget spinner fad took over the UK, every child on the playground was showing off their spinning contraptions, while teachers nationwide found them to be hugely distracting in the classroom.
More Ways to Help Your Child Relax and Unwind
The demands on kids in today's world can result in a level of stress youngsters simply aren't yet able to deal with. Whether it's worries over school work, difficulty concentrating, or sensory overwhelm, it's important to provide them with tools to help them relax and unwind. Click the links below for more calming toys and activities for kids.
Summary
Research has already shown that fidget toys are a brilliant tool for helping children manage stress and improve concentrations levels. We hope our guide will help you pick the perfect toy to ensure a relaxed and carefree time for your children - and at such affordable prices, you can easily build a brilliant collection to keep everyone happy!
Author: Kieran Davies
Top 5 Stress Relief Toys for Kids
No. 1: Highline｜Fidget Cube
No. 2: ZhengYue｜Squeeze Beans｜3 Pack
No. 3: Sovinia｜Push Pop Bubble Sensory Fidget Toy
No. 4: Topways｜Flippy Chain ｜4 Pack
No. 5: Funxim｜Infinity Cube
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
Most ViewedFeatured Rankings Similar to Novelty & gag toys
New ArrivalsFeatured Rankings Similar to Novelty & gag toys
Search by category
Automotive
Agricultural vehicle parts & equipment, Car & motorbike care, Car & vehicle electronicsBaby Products
Activity & entertainment, Car seats & accessories, Carriers & accessoriesBeauty
Bath & body, Fragrances, Hair careBooks
Antiquarian, rare & collectable, Arts & photography, Biographies & memoirsBusiness, Industry & Science
3D printing & scanning, Abrasive & finishing products, Agricultural equipment & suppliesComputers & Accessories
Accessories, Barebone PCs, Components & replacement partsDIY, Garden & Tools
Building supplies, Construction machinery, ElectricalElectronics & Photo
Accessories, Camera & photo, Car & vehicle electronicsFashion
Baby, Boys, GirlsGrocery
Baby foods, Bakery, Beer, wine & spiritsHealth & Personal Care
Baby & child care, Dental care, Diet & nutritionHome & Kitchen
Arts & crafts, Artwork, BathroomLarge Appliances
Beer & wine storage & dispensers, Compact kitchens, Dishwashers & dish dryersMusical Instruments & DJ
Bass guitars & gear, DJ & VJ equipment, Drums & percussionPC & Video Games
Currency & subscription cards, Handheld game systems, Legacy systemsPet Supplies
Birds, Cats, DogsSports & Outdoors
Accessories, Fitness, Hunting & fishingStationery & Office Products
Art & craft supplies, Calendars, planners & personal organisers, Envelopes & mailing suppliesToys & Games
Arts & crafts, Baby & toddler toys, Building & construction toys