The fidget cube is likely the second best known type of fidget toy – second only to the fidget spinner. Widely available and immensely popular, the fidget cube is beloved by young and old alike.
What is it?
The fidget cube offers a variety of different types of fidgets attached to one cube. There are some varieties of the “fidget cube” which actually have more than six sides and offer even more fidgets. Different fidgets cubes generally include some combination of the following gadgets to keep your fingers busy:
Buttons
Disk
Gears
Joystick
Loop
Rotating / Spinning Disc
Sliding Blocks
Soft Button
Squishy Balls
Stress Ball
Switch
Tactile Massager
Worry Grove / Stone
Other
By including multiple options, fidget cubes offer something for everyone looking to fidget and numerous ways to cope. The physical manipulation of the fidgets can help to cope as can the soothing feel and the distraction that the fidget cube offers.
How Much Does it Cost?
Like their cousin the fidget spinner, the fidget cube comes in a variety of forms and varying quality levels. Most cubes though range from about $8 to about $15.
Our Review
Appeal Rating (3.5 Smiles)
We give the fidget cube an appeal rating of 3.5 out of 5 smiles. The fidget toys version of trying to be everything to everyone (or more precisely something to everyone), the fidget cube is an effective fidget and can offer several different coping options. That is the fidget cube’s biggest strength but can also be its biggest weakness. If you enjoy or benefit from one particular type of fidgeting, you would be better to get a fidget toy that focuses on that than a fidget cube that offers a bunch of options you will never use.
Durability Rating (3.5 Stones)
We give the fidget cube a durability rating of 3.5 out of 5 stones. While I have not personally experienced these breaking, I have read numerous reviews where one or more of the individual fidgets either broke, stopped working, or never worked in the first place.
Portability Rating (4 Bags)
We give the fidget cube a portability rating of 4 out of 5 bags. Some fidget cubes are bigger than others, but most of them are still small enough that they are easy to carry around. However, with various fidget possibilities sticking out from the cube, they can be hard to carry around in a pocket or easily get tangled up with headphone cords, etc.
Noise Rating (3.5 Decibles)
We give the fidget cube a noise rating of 3.5 out of 5 decibles. Many of the fidgets included on the cube work base on a click or a bang which can lead to a lot of noise (particularly in a quiet room)
Overall Rating (3.5 Fidgets)
We give the fidget cube an overall rating of 3.5 out of 5 stones. Some people really love the fidget cube which is evidenced by their sales over the last couple of years. They aren’t our favorite fidget, but they can be a good introduction to different types of fidgeting.
Name: Fidget Spinner Category: Manipulable Coping: Physical, Distraction, Soothing, Social
Introduction to The Fidget Spinner
We couldn’t start a series on fidgets without first tackling what has become the most popular fidget to date – the fidget spinner. From the spring and summer of 2017 through today, fidget spinners have become a cultural icon. Kids love them. Parents are sick of hearing about them. And, they have become the bane of some teachers’ existence. So, what is the fidget spinner, and why are they equally so loved and so despised?
What is a Fidget Spinner?
Fidget Spinners are part of the manipulables category of fidgets. For purposes of this review, we define fidget spinners as:
A muti-pronged object (generally including two or three prongs) revolving around a center circle that is used by holding both sides of the middle of the spinner and spinning the prongs around the center.
They spin by using a series of ball bearings that allow the spinners to continue spinning for an extended period time without any additional effort. Today, fidget spinners come in all sorts of shape of sizes. There are also a number of “fidget spinner like items” which incorporate additional fidgeting possibilities – like the fidget spinner pictured here which includes many fidget cube components (we will talk about the fidget cube in a later installment).
The different types, sizes and looks of fidgets spinners are about as numerous as the number of times kids ask for them. Pictured below are some from my personal collection. They include regular fidget spinners, light up spinners, spinners from some of my favorite teams (Cowboys, Yankees, Ohio State) and more. If you happen to know where I can find a Leicester City Football Club spinner, let me know!
How Much Do They Cost?
Fidget spinners come in all sorts of shapes and sizes – and also prices! You can find cheap fidget spinners at dollar stores and thrift stores. I’ve found them as cheap as $0.25 for a basic spinner at stores seeking to rid themselves of excess inventory. You can find branded fidgets spinners for fans of sports teams, tv shows, movies, cartoons, comics and much more – generally for anywhere between $5 and $10. There are higher end spinners that claim to spin better and longer and are made out of more sturdy materials for tens and even hundreds of dollars. There are even places where you can order your own personally branded version of the fidget spinner in bulk for giving to clients or students.
Our Review of the Fidget Spinner
Appeal Rating (4.5 Smiles)
We give fidget spinners an appeal rating of 4.5 out of 5 smiles. They are clearly popular which is evidenced by the large number of kids, teens and adults who still use and/or want one. Some of the novelty has worn off from the peek 12-18 months ago, but these spinners still tend to draw a crowd (particularly the more unique ones). There are books of tricks you can do with the fidget spinners and kids still love them.
The fidget spinner serves in a number of different coping capacities:
The smooth hum helps to sooth anxious nerves.
The physical motion of the spinning can be mesmerizing and therapeutic as they serve as a distraction coping mechanism.
The crowds that they draw represent a social coping skill.
All in all, fidget spinners are both effective and a lot of fun. The only thing that keeps them from getting 5 smiles is that they have slightly over-saturated the market in the last couple of years and some of the novelty has begun to wear off.
Durability Rating (4 Stones)
We give fidget spinners a durability rating of 4 out of 5 stones. Like many of he fidgets we will review in this series, the fidget spinner comes in all types of varieties from different of manufacturers (everyone wants a piece of the fidget pie). Some high end fidget spinners are almost indestructible (and you pay accordingly). Even the cheaper ones hold up pretty good. My son found one at a soccer field during a game one weekend that had clearly been out in the elements for weeks (if not months). The plastic casing was eroded, but the spinner still worked fine. Others are slightly less durable, though I’ve yet to see one snap in half. The only issue with some of the spinners is that the center pieces can sometimes fall off or the bearings may fall out. Many also start to spin less smoothly and for shorter periods of time after repeated use.
Portability Rating (4 Bags)
We give fidget spinners a portability rating of 4 out of 5 bags. The fidget spinner comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes making this rating a little hard. Generally, they are fairly small (and even come in miniature varieties) making them fairly easy to carry. The only thing that keeps them from getting a higher rating is that they can tend to be a little heavy or awkward to carry in your pocket, and some of the spinners with sharper edges can pose a problem in terms of carrying them.
Noise Rating (3.5 Decibles)
We give fidget spinners a noise rating of 3.5 out of 5 decibles. They are loud enough when they spin to be a distraction in a classroom setting which has resulted in them to be banned by many schools. That said, in terms of overall noise production, they actually aren’t that loud, and the better made options make very little sound indeed.
Overall Rating (4 Fidgets)
Overall, we give fidget spinners a rating of 4 out of 5 fidgets. Wildly popular, engaging and an effective coping mechanism, spinners live up to their hype. That said, after a while they can grow a little stale and spend more time collecting dust than being used.
As fidget spinners burst on to the seen in the summer of 2017 (despite having been around for years), the squishy burst onto the popular culture scene in the Spring and Summer of 2018.
What is it?
The evolution of the stress ball, squishies are generally made of a slow rising foam that slowly retakes it original shape after being squished by its user. They come in all types of shapes and sizes including sports equipment, animals, food and much much more. They range in size from less than an inch to well over a foot.
I keep a soccer ball in my car that I can use while I am driving. The foam is sturdy enough to use it as a traditional ball and squishy enough to live up to its name. In addition to the slow rising forms, there are a number of other types of squishy fidgets that have a more rubbery feel. These, too, come in a variety of forms and sizes.
Squishy fidgets can represent a variety of different coping mechanism. The physical aspect of playing with and squeezing them relieves tension. Watching the foam slowly reform to its original shape is an effective distraction and is also soothing. Like other types of fidgets, they can draw a crowd thereby serving as a social fidget.
How Much Does it Cost?
You can get small and average size squishy toys in the range of approximately $5 to $10. You can find better deals if you are interested in buying several at the same time (in a bundle). Large squishy toys can cost in excess of $10.
Our Review
Appeal Rating (4.5 Smiles)
We give the squishy an appeal rating of 4.5 out of 5 smiles. Sometimes the simplest things are the most effective. There isn’t a whole lot to these squishy fidgets, but they are captivating. No matter how many times you squeeze it down to the smallest size you can manage, you will still be mesmerized watching it slowly retake its original form. Both fun and soothing, the squishy fidget can help to cope with all kinds of difficult emotions.
Durability Rating (4 Stones)
We give the squishy a durability rating of 4 out of 5 stones.By thier very nature, the squishy takes a lot of abuse. It’s hard to imagine any object lasting too long which is designed to be squeezed and manipulated like the squishy. Eventually, the print on the squishy will wear off, and foam doesn’t last forever. Think of that old nerf football you used as a kid – after a few years, there was no mistaking the fact that it was well used, but it still worked. The squishy is a lot like that. It might not look as pretty after a while, but it will still serve its purpose.
Portability Rating (4 Bags)
We give the squishy a portability rating of 4 out of 5 bags. Some of the smaller rubberized fidgets are small enough to fit in your pocket, but most of the foam fidgets are at least large enough that they wouldn’t be comfortable to carry around all day in your pocket. That said, they are made of foam and are extremely light, so if you have a bag you can carry a bunch of them.
Noise Rating (5 Decibles)
We give the squishy a noise rating of 5 out of 5 decibles. This one was easy – they’re made of foam. Kids will find ways to make noise with them (picture throwing them into a pile of metal spoons), but used the way they are intended, they make no noise and are the perfect fidget for a quiet room.
Overall Rating (4.5 Fidgets)
We give the squishy an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 fidgets. My squishy soccer ball is one of the few fidgets that I keep handy and has become another personal favorite. Strangely addictive, immensely soothing and just down right fun, you can’t go wrong with the squishy in your fidget collection.
The Infinity Cube holds the distinction of being my favorite fidget toy to date. At first glance, it looks a little bit like the lesser known cousin of the Rubik’s Cube, and I didn’t think much of it when I first saw it. The real measure of a fidget toy though is how much you find yourself using it. From the first moment I picked up, the Infinity Cube has been my favorite, and I’ve yet to find another fidget that comes even close.
What is an Infinity Cube?
The Infinity Cube is a series of eight blocks hinged together in such a way that you can flip the blocks and change the shape of them over and over without stopping or back tracking. This ability to “keep going” gives rise to the “infinity” part of the name. If you’ve never used one, imagine a folded sheet of paper that you can continuously unfold over and over again without ever completely unfolding the paper
The infinity cube is both addicting and soothing as you manipulate the blocks using either one hand or two. When you first start using it, you will find yourself concentrating on how it works. This can be an effective coping mechanism as it diverts your attention from whatever you are dealing with. As you use it more and more though, you will get the feel of it and how it works and find yourself using it without even thinking about it. (I sometimes use mine while working on the computer – for example as I write this!) The sound of the blocks folding and unfolding as well as the constant motion in your hand can be very soothing not to mention the tactile feeling of the cubes.
How Much Does it Cost?
Like many fidget toys, the Infinity Cube comes is variety of materials and sizes. They are also manufactured to varying levels of quality. You can get a cheap plastic version for $5 or so though these lose some of their effectiveness in their lack of quality. A good plastic Infinity Cube will cost from $10-$15 dollars and works well. One of my new favorites (the OctoCube) is rubber coated a little bit smaller than most infinity cubes, and costs approximately $10. I also sprang for a high quality metal one for personal use that cost me in the range of $20-$25.
Our Review
Appeal Rating (5 Smiles)
We give the infinity cube an appeal rating of 5 out of 5 smiles. If we could have given it a higher rating, we would have. As indicated above, the Infinity Cube became, and still remains, our favorite fidget toy. They are fun to use and hard to resist. They help kids (and adults) cope in a variety of ways. The constant movement of the cubes has a soothing impact and the physical manipulation of the toy can be a welcome distraction.
Durability Rating (5 Stones)
We give the infinity cube a durability rating of 5 out of 5 stones. While it would seem like the numerous hinges might make this fidget toy more susceptible to breaking, we haven’t found that to be true. Particularly our metal infinity cube had withstood all kids of use, dropping, falling and multitude of little hands without any signs of excessive wear and tear.
Portability Rating (4.5 Bags)
We give the infinity cube a portability rating of 4.5 out of 5 bags. We really wanted to give it a five. After all, when all eight blocks are aligned flat, it will easily fit into your pocket. Even as a cube, it’s easy to hold. However, it would likely be a little large to carry around in your pocket (the OctoCube is a good alternative), and that is the only reason we knocked off half a bag.
Noise Rating (4.5 Decibles)
We give the infinity cube a noise rating of 4.5 out of 5 decibles. The infinite cube is by no means loud. That said, there is a “banging” together of the cubes that does make some noise. If you use it gently, you can minimize the noise, but who wants to do that?
Overall Rating (5 Fidgets)
We give the infinity cube an overall rating of 5 out of 5 fidgets. No surprise here! The Infinity Cube is our favorite when it comes to fidget toys. It is fun, engaging, easy to use and just the right amount of addicting. If you plan get only one fidget toy for yourself, or someone else, make it the Infinity Cube!
Welcome to Fidgets 101. In this series, we will review a variety of fidget toys over the coming months. Before we do that though, an introduction to Fidgets 101 is in order. Unless you’ve lived under a rock for the last couple of years, chances are that you’ve played with, seen or heard about Fidget Spinner. They burst onto the scene in the Summer of 2017, seemingly out of nowhere, and became the focus (pun intended) of young people everywhere. Fidgets, though, have been around forever. From the Chinese baoding balls (sometimes called Chinese Stress Balls) created in the 14th century to greek worry beads known as kompoloi which were used by monks 800 years ago to todays fidgets spinners and cubes, there have always been outlets for human’s insatiable need to fidget.
What is A Fidget?
A fidget is any sort of object that people fiddle with to help them to maintain their focus on something else. As described in more detail in the video below, a fidget is a kind of coping mechanism.
The science is still out on why fidgets work. One theory is that fidgets occupy our “floating attention.” We all have what is called “floating attention” which is that little bit of attention that is placed away from our principal activity no matter what we are doing. For some people, their floating attention isn’t well regulated and gets spread across tons of activities. Using a fidget gives that “floating attention” something to focus on which allows you to focus better on the primary items of focus.
Fidgets occupy that part of your brain that distracts the rest of your brain with random thoughts (i.e., your floating attention).
Bodily movement is part of the thinking and expressing process and fidgets thereby help with that process.
Fidgeting serves as a mini-ritual offering the benefits of rituals like familiarity, structure and predictability.
Fidgeting may create an emotional attachment to the fidget which can serve as a temporary proxy for an actual attachment to a person.
Fidgeting may be a way of maintaining some physical movement in our increasingly sedentary lifestyles.
Regardless of the science behind fidgets and maintaining your attention, we have noticed in working with hurting young people that they offer other significant advantages. Whether it is coping in terms of distraction, soothing, physical activity or social interaction, fidgets can be a valuable tool in a young person’s coping tool box.
How Fidgets Work
There are all kinds of different fidgets from the popular fidget spinner to the very common clicking of a pen or mechanical pencil.
Lexi Walters Wright from Understood.org identified six different types of fidgets based on how those fidgets work to help people to focus and calm down:
Calming Fidgets help young people who “need help feeling settled so they can sustain their attention.” This category includes items like Wiki Sticks, fuzzy pipe cleaners, plastic nuts and bolts, coiled bracelets and key chains and weighted lap pads.
Alerting Fidgets help young people who need a little color, noise or light to help them focus. This category of fidgets includes Klicks, Pop Tubes, spinning tops and color changing light up balls.
Chewy Fidgets are exactly what they sound like – these are fidgets are for young people who concentrate better when they keep their mouths occupied. This category includes chewable pencil toppers and silicone jewelry.
Resistance Fidgets are for young people who need to keep their hands busy pushing, pulling or squeezing. This category would include stress balls, squishy toys and magnetic balls and disks.
Tactile Fidgets are those that include different textures to help people focus. The Koosh Ball (and all its knock offs) is probably the most famous fidget in this category which also would include play foam, kinetic sand, rubbery squeeze toys, pop beads and velcro strips.
Popular Fidgets is the final category reserved for the most popular fidget – the spinner.
Fidgets are a great tool and an awesome way to help kids cope, but sometimes their use can get out of control. If that happens with your kids, perhaps you can consider a fidget contract like the one created by understood.org to help with the situation.
My Personal Introduction to Fidgets
When I was in high school in north-central Texas in the 1980’s (yes, I’m that old), I was part of the school’s debate team. If you are not familiar with the exercise, it is where two teams of two people debate a predetermined proposition sometimes arguing for and other times against the proposition in a fast thinking and even faster talking format. At the time, many of the debaters in the area were fond of a technique called the “Bel-Air Flare.” It is not entirely clear where the name came from (the trick pre-dated the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and the story I was told was that it was named after Bel-Air High School in El Paso Texas where the move originated). The “trick” of the Bel-Air Flare was to spin a pen around your thumb and catch it without dropping it. At any point when you were walking around a high-school debate tournament, you could look in rooms and see hundreds of debaters doing the “Bel-Air Flare” in the midst of their high stakes arguments. As I look back now, I realize that this was just a pre-cursor to today’s multitude of fidget toys. A way to focus by channeling energy into a fairly inconsequential activity.
Types of Fidgets
Fidgets come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and types. The classification system above based on the needs met by the fidget is fine but for purposes of this series, we prefer to group fidgets based on how they actually work:
Liquids: These fidgets utilize liquid, or liquid properties, to capture attention.
Magnetic: Magnets are fun, and they’re also captivating. These fidgets include magnetic components.
Manipulable: Whether they are chains or cubes or twisty, these fidgets engage the use by manipulating and moving their parts.
Puzzles: One purpose of fidgets is to keep your hands busy. These fidgets do that in the form of a puzzle that needs to be solved.
Resistance: Resistance fidgets are exactly what they sound like. They are meant to be manipulated, squeezed, pulled and pushed while offering some resistance.
Spinners: When someone mentions fidget spinners, it brings a certain image to mind of the poplar toy. However, there are a variety of different types of fidgets that captivate by spinning.
Tactile: These fidgets are effective because of their feel.
Old School: Fidgets aren’t new, and this category is likely to leave you feeling just a little bit nostalgic.
Other: Some fidgets defy easy classification. You’ll find those here.
Introduction to Fidgets 101
In this series, we are going to work through a number of different types of fidget spinners. Our goal is to further explain some of the fidgets you probably have already heard about and perhaps introduce you to some more. Each review will explain the type of fidget, a description of each fidget and a thorough review based on the following criteria:
Appeal
Description: Fidgets used to help people with ADHD are not meant to be toys. However, we acknowledge that the more “fun” a fidget is, the more likely it is to engage the young adult using it and the more likely it is to get used. This will be a measure of how fun and engaging the fidget is.
Rating Scale: 1 (kind of fun) to 5 (over the top fun) smiles
Durability
Description: Some fidgets are more likely than others to last. Of course there is variability even within fidget types in terms of how items are manufactured and how long they will last. This section of our reviews though will look at how likely the fidget is to last in the hands of child.
Rating Scale: 1 (easily breakable) to 5 (indestructible) stones.
Portability
Description: Desktop fidgets are great, and they can be a lot of fun. That said, you never know exactly when you’re going to need a fidget. This part of our review will let you know if you’ll be able to shove that fidget into your pocket or if you’re going to need a U-Haul to move it around.
Rating Scale: 1 (difficult to carry around) to 5 (easy to transport) bags
Noise
Description: At Hope 4 Hurting Kids, we love kids and consequently noise doesn’t bother us that much. That said, we recognize that some fidgets do have the side effect that they create quite a bit of noise. We’ll let you know which fidgets work well in a library and which fit better at a concert in terms of noise.
Rating Scale: 1 (very noisy) to 5 (totally quiet) decibels
Overall Rating
Description: This overall rating will take everything about the fidget into consideration from price to effectiveness to its impact on other people in the room. This is the rating to look at for finding the best overall fidget.
Take a moment to think of someone you care about or someone that has impacted your life in a positive way. There are a lot of people that have impacted my life – especially in ministry. When I think of one lady in particular, and how she has blessed me down through the years, I get the “warm fuzzies.”
You know that feeling where you just feel better inside, under your skin and in your heart. You feel all warm inside and right with the world. My friend has been with me through thick and thin; through divorce and death; through the good and bad. She’s in her eighties now and still relevant and intentional in ministry. She lives on the West coast and I live on the East coast, but she is always with me in my heart.
Sometimes the Holy Spirit alerts me when there is a problem. This happens so I will know to pray for her. For instance when her husband, Jim, passed away suddenly I knew instantly something was wrong. I started praying for her not really knowing why or for what. But the Lord knew. In my prayers for her I am always grateful for her friendship.
Brain research shows that when we feel gratitude or thankfulness there are chemical changes in our brains. Thoughts physically alter the brain wiring. Many times children can sense the emotional state that you are in. What might happen if when a child comes into your group you silently looked at the child and thanked God for allowing this child to be in your group? Or you looked at this child with gratitude for what he or she might teach you today about being a kid? Or as Dr. Becky Bailey says, “You wish the child well.”
I’ll tell you what will happen. You will be creating chemical changes in your brain. You’ll feel better about the child. You’ll feel better about yourself and your ability to minister to this child. You will be impacting the child because he or she will sense the difference in your attitude toward him. There might even be chemical changes going on the child’s brain as well. You could be creating “warm fuzzies” in their brain and not even know it.
In an article titled, “The Secret to fixing School Discipline Problems? Change the Behavior of the Adults” (http://acestoohigh.com/2013/03/20/secret-to-fixing-school-discipline/) the author talks about the success a school in San Diego has had with children and their behaviors. The adults have become intentional in their approach to discipline. In other words, if you want to fix discipline problems the adults have to change first. They use every situation as a teachable moment. They have learned that punishment doesn’t change kids’ behavior. Kids have to be taught how to change their behavior. That means adults have to use the power of being intentional in their interactions with the children. It means thinking differently toward the child and thinking positively.
This however, is not a new concept. In many of the books in the New Testament the disciples would end their letters with warm wishes.
When you read the ending of many books in the New Testament you’ll read,
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit” Philippians 4:23
“The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.” 2 Timothy 4:22
“Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” Ephesians 6:23
I’ll end this by sending all of you warm greetings. May the grace of our Father be with each of you in your ministries to children.
[su_divorce_hc]
This article is updated and adapted from an article originally published on Divorce Ministry 4 Kids on April 05, 2013.
The Emotions Chart is designed to help young people to recognize and name their emotions which is an important step in the healing process. These charts can play a key role in helping kids with the See It! Say It! and Feel It! components of the The Super Simple Feelings Management Technique. You can download the chart by clicking here or on the image above.
What Are These Emotion Charts?
These charts are based on the characters and emotions included in our Hope 4 Hurting Kids Emotion Cards and the forthcoming book 150 Emotions Every Child Should Know, By Age. Each page includes 30 different emotions, and are designed to introduce new emotions as the child grows older.
Chart #1 (pictured above) includes 30 basic emotions every child should know by age 8.
Chart #2 adds an additional 30 emotions children should know by age 10.
Chart #3 adds an additional 30 emotions children should know by age 12.
Chart #4 adds an additional 30 emotions teens should know by age 14.
Chart #5 adds an additional 30 emotions teens should know by age 18.
How Do You Use These Emotion Charts?
These charts, like all emotion charts, can be used in a variety of ways.
In a group or school setting, have the kids write their name on a post-it note each time they enter the room and put it on one of the emotions. There is no need to discuss why the child feels that way or why they chose the emotion they did. Remember, the purpose of these charts is not to spark a conversation but to let the child start to recognize how they feel and put a name with the emotion. Children should feel free to move their post it note at any point when their emotions change.
In a family setting, put the emotion chart(s) on your refrigerator and use the post-it note technique above. Again, resist discussing the choice, but feel free to help the child as they get used to recognizing and naming their emotions. You can also put magnetic strips on the back of the charts and create a magnet for each member of your family that can be easily moved and reused.
Encourage the child to tell a story using the different emotions on the chart.
The movie Inside Out has been great for those of us working to help kids better understand and deal with their emotions. In addition to being a great movie, it has sparked a litany of crafts and games to go along with it. These crafts and activities can help kids to better understand the emotions they are feeling. The Inside Out Mood Board is one of those activities and is a fun way for kids who like the movie to track their emotions.
Supplies Needed for an Inside Out Mood Board
We originally found this idea on the Eighteen 25 website. We love their mood board, but we made some minor modifications to the one we built. These changes were mainly due to the materials we had on hand and because we like the idea of using a white board. Here’s what we used:
A magnetic white board purchased from a local dollar store.
Construction paper (you’ll need red, yellow, purple, green and blue to match the characters from the movie).
Circular cake boards purchased from a local hobby store to serve as the backing for the character.
Glue.
Adhesive magnets to attach to the back of the emotions.
Making an Inside Out Mood Board
Download and print the template from our friends at Eighteen 25 available here.
Cut out the characters and title wording from the template.
Glue the title to the white board.
Cut circles out of the construction paper the same size as the cake boards and glue the construction paper to the cake boards.
Glue the character faces to the construction paper.
Attach the magnets or magnetic strips to the back of the cardboard cake boards.
Hang the Mood Board somewhere where the child can reach it.
Encourage them to use the Mood Board to show what emotion(s) they are feeling.
Who doesn’t love a ball pit? With the Feelings Ball Pit you can bring all the fun of a ball pit to older kids and teach them about their feelings at the same time. Depending on how you play, you can help kids to explore all five components of the The Super Simple Feelings Management Technique.
Supplies for Making a Feelings Ball Pit
You will need standard ball pit balls. You can get them on Amazon, but they can be pricey. We got ours on the Wish app for significantly less (they took longer to get here, but it’s worth it for the savings if you plan ahead).
Markers
A container large enough to be the pit for the ball pit. It doesn’t have to be large enough that you can actually climb in (that would be fun), but it should be large enough to allow kids to dig through the balls.
Write the name of an emotion on each ball. Make multiple copies of each emotion. You can use whatever emotions you would like for this game, but make sure you include all 54 emotions included in the Hope 4 Hurting Kids Emotion Cards.
Put the balls in the pit at one of end of the room.
Have the players stand at the other end of the room with a bucket or container for each player or team.
How to Play
There are several different games you can play once you have your Feelings Ball Pit all set up.
Version #1: A card is drawn from the Hope 4 Hurting Kids Emotion Cards deck. The first player to find that emotion on a ball in the ball pit and bring it back to the starting point scores a point. First team to a pre-selected number of points wins.
Version #2: Each player draws a card of their own from the Hope 4 Hurting Kids Emotion Cards deck. They must run to the ball pit and find that emotion and bring it back and dump it in their bucket. They then draw another card and repeat. The team with the most balls in their bucket at the end of a pre-selected amount of time wins. The losing team must draw a Super Simple Feelings Management Technique Activity Card for each emotion in their bucket and do the activity on the card or answer the question on the card.
Version #3: Each player draws a card of their own from the I Feel Scenario Cards deck. They must run to the ball pit and find an appropriate emotion that they might feel given the scenario on their card. They then draw another card and repeat. The team with the most balls in their bucket at the end of a pre-selected amount of time wins. The losing team must draw a Super Simple Feelings Management Technique Activity Card for each emotion in their bucket and do the activity on the card or answer the question on the card.