Calming Caddy

Hi everyone!

I wanted to share my Calming Caddy with you today!

You can check out many of the items I'll be sharing in my amazon store.
I'll also post individual links below!

Three years ago, I had a student that benefited from using fidgets in class. This was the first time that I had a student that needed them so I didn't have any of my own in class to give him. At that time, I borrowed fidgets from our Occupational Therapist so that he had what he needed to be successful.

Since having that student, I decided to create a Calming Caddy in my room so that I had some of my own fidgets on hand in case a student needed them. I tried to find different kinds of fidgets, since not all students like the same types of sensory play.

This is the first year since having that student that I have another student that benefits from using fidgets. I introduced him to the calming caddy on the second day of school. He has a classroom aide so I also showed her the fidgets so that she knew where they were and that he was able to use them as needed.

He typically uses them when I am reading a book or teaching a lesson. He keeps it in his lap and then puts it back when I'm done talking. I have a pretty consistent schedule/routine in my room so he has caught on to when he should get one to sit and listen and when to put it away.

The first week of school, a few students asked why he got to play with the "toys" and no one else did. We discussed that they weren't toys but tools to help him focus and listen. A new student joined our class on week 3 and when he asked why this student had toys, another student answered the question, before I even could, and we all moved on.

Just this week I added a few new fidgets to my caddy:

This one is my personal favorite:

I don't recommend that all students use them, because not everyone needs them. But don't be afraid to try them if a student is having a hard time focusing (or staying awake) throughout the day! It might take some trial and error to figure out what works and what doesn't.

Here are some links if you want to add some fidgets to your classroom:

Koosh Ball

Fidget Cube

Stretchy String Fidget

Grape Ball

Liquid Motion Timer

Atom Ball
Tangle Fidget

21 Sensory Fidget Pack

Let me know below if you have classroom fidgets that I should include in my calming caddy!