It’s rare these days that the biggest toy trend doesn’t have a microchip – or a motor, or even a cute face. Low-tech and simple isn’t cool anymore.
But if you’ve been to a primary school lately you’ve probably seen that the newest craze in children’s toys is just that.
Fidget spinners, as they’re called, are simply pieces of plastic that spin with a flick of your finger.
And the toys are so distracting they’ve been banned in thousands of schools across the US. Now, even some Melbourne classrooms have begun implementing bans, The Herald Sun reports.
Listen: Before it was Fidget Spinners, it was Shopkins.
The toy’s action sounds so simple, we would guess they’d be boring. So why are they so popular in Australia, the US and the UK?
Well, it’s in the name really – fidget spinners are perfect for using up nervous energy.
Fidgeters everywhere are loving the simple way to make use of their hands that doesn’t involve incessantly clicking a pen or tearing up pieces of paper. The appeal is in trying to get the toys to spin for as long as possible.
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It’s not just kids who are loving them either. Adults are also in on the craze, claiming the spinners are stress-relieving.
But for Mazenod College in Mulgrave, Victoria, the toy’s are a problem. Assistant principal Tony Coghlan told the Herald Sun the school had imposed a ban on students bringing spinners to class.
The addictive toys come in plastic or metal and range in price from $10 (plastic) to more than $80 (for the fanciest palm-sized creations you have ever seen).