Is your child constantly touching things?  Does your student have trouble sitting still while listening or while waiting?   Do you ever find yourself saying, “Keep your hands to yourself!”  If the answer is yes, then this Pumpkin Balloon Fidget is a super sensory solution for fidgety kids (and grown ups too)!   Whether your child is feeling anxious or seeking touch input, this little Pumpkin Fidget helps keep busy hands busy.

Sometimes kids really can’t help these extra movements they make with their hands.  Or they can’t seem to stop the need to keep touching things or fidget when required to sit still.  When it comes to sensory processing, it’s their nervous system responding to stress, overwhelm or excitement, or in some cases, even boredom.

You can help by understanding the nervous system’s drive to move, while redirecting it to a quiet, movement activity such as a fidget. In occupational therapy, we use fidgets to 1.)  Help kids maintain their focus  2.)  Help satisfy the need to constantly touch things  3.)  Strengthen hands and fingers by providing a repetitive resistance exercise (squeezing and pinching).

This fidget is Halloween themed, however you can make fidgets all year round!  Check out the video tutorial for this adorable Halloween Pumpkin Balloon Fidget at the end of this post.