A Fidget-Free Classroom?

My 10 tips offer ideas on how to help students who fidget achieve their best focus, state of calm, and active listening.

Do we really want fidget-free kids? Fidgets such as rocking back and forth, tapping fingers, and shaking legs are cues teachers can observe to know that a student may need something extra. In the world of OT we see it as a possible need for vestibular or proprioceptive input.  

What are vestibular and proprioceptive input? Examples of strong vestibular input include roller coasters, merry-go-rounds, gymnastics, and swinging. The vestibular sensation comes from the little hairs in our inner ear. This is why we may feel dizzy and off balance when our ears are clogged with a nasty cold. We know where our body is in relation to the earth because of our vestibular system. 

The sensation of proprioceptive input comes from the feeling of pressure in our joints. Proprioceptive input is considered a universal calmer. When a baby is upset we snuggly swaddle them. When a friend is upset, we give them a big bear hug. Examples of strong proprioceptive input include lifting weights, tight hugs, swimming, and running. Proprioception is knowing where our body is in relation to itself.

There are exceptions. While fidgeting can be indicative of a possible need for vestibular or proprioceptive input, if fidgeting includes any of the items listed below, then seeking support from a primary care physician as a starting point for further referral may be helpful.

• highly restricted and repetitive behaviors
• the student becomes upset when access to these behaviors is restricted
• these behaviors interfere with the student’s ability to engage in other activities
• or social relationships are impacted by fidgeting

The following are 10 (almost free) ways to provide proprioceptive and vestibular input.

1 Sports

Whether sporting activities take place in the backyard, in PE, or as part of a formal team, virtually all of them will provide a combination of strong proprioceptive and vestibular input. Basketball, baseball, volleyball, swimming, dance, martial arts, gymnastics, yoga, running, biking, tennis… Many options to choose from.  

2 Theraband

Many teachers have found Theraband to be a very inexpensive fix. By tying the Theraband to two legs of the child’s desk/chair, students can use their legs to push or pull against the Theraband in order to receive proprioceptive input through the resistance of the band.  

3 Classroom chores

Tasks such as stacking chairs, wiping tables, cleaning wipe-off or chalk boards, stacking books, carrying boxes, sweeping with broom or hand sweeper, all provide heavy work and movement of the body which can provide discrete sensory input within the classroom for students with a strong need to wiggle. 

4 Short movement breaks

What if the entire class is wiggly? There are only so many chairs and only so many times they can be stacked. Have the entire class get up and move! Programs such as Brain Gym, or Brain Breaks are an excellent way to help get the entire class’ wiggles out in a short amount of time, with minimal disruption to instruction. 

5 Mask breaks

Similar to other movement breaks, teachers can utilize outdoor “mask breaks”. My daughter was masked and in school the entire school year last year. One of her middle school teachers would set aside the last 5 minutes of each period, take the entire class outside, have them social distance, take off their masks, and soak in some fresh air. It is understandable that not all schools are in an area with grass and trees, but this type of movement break has the added benefit of sunshiney Vitamin D.  

6 Student messenger

Another very discreet way a teacher can provide sensory input and movement for a student is to have the student take a note to another staff member in the building. Similarly, a walk to take a bathroom break or to go fill their water bottle would also do the trick nicely.  

7 Wiggle seats

I sometimes hesitate to recommend these, because they actually cost around $20-$50 each, and I would hate for someone to purchase one and it actually cause more harm than good.  Generally called a disc-o-sit (3), these are pancake-shaped inflatable air cushions that allow for wigging and movement while the student stays seated in their chair.  

A downside of sensory cushions is that some children wiggle on them so much that they fall out of their chair. Some may even try to use the disc-o-sit like a frisbee and let it fly across the room! A much cheaper alternative to the disc-o-sit is to have the student sit on a barely inflated beach ball to achieve a similar seating set up. Other work/movement options could include standing desks, rocking chairs, office chairs, or ball chairs, but these are much more expensive options.  

8 Recess 

Recess is likely where a child can obtain the strongest proprioceptive and vestibular input during the school day. Most children will naturally utilize the playground equipment to give their own bodies the input that each individual’s body needs. Climbing, swinging, running, throwing/kicking a ball are all fantastic exercises to help utilize extra energy.  

Teachers should encourage all students to move and explore as much as they are physically and safely able to during recess. If playground equipment is limited, consider asking if any parents would be able to donate jump ropes, sidewalk chalk, or play ground balls. These inexpensive items can be taken from the classroom to the playground and back each recess, and can provide a versatile selection of movement and game options.  

Two important points with recess: I recommend never taking recess away from a child as a punishment. If a student broke the school rules, we can find other creative consequences. Sitting a student by the fence as a punishment (as was done when I was a kid) is likely to make the student even more impulsive and less likely to be able to follow the rules after recess, which is no fun for anyone in the classroom.

Include movement during inside recess. Sometimes it does not make sense to go outside for recess. Rain, extreme cold, and extreme heat can create unsafe play environments. Rather than playing board games, puzzles, or the computer during inside recess, consider intentional indoor movement. YouTube has a ton of great movement videos for kids. Just because you can’t go outside, doesn’t mean your body can’t get the movement it needs. 

Ready to really open up your indoor space in the classroom? You can have the children push the desks to the walls (proprioceptive input), stack the chairs (proprioceptive input), and engage the students with a dance party, yoga, Hokey Pokey, Head Shoulders Knees & Toes, Father Abraham, Brain Gym, etc. 

9 Walk/bike to school

It is understood that not all schools are in a neighborhood conducive to this intervention. However, starting off the school day with a brisk walk or bike ride is an excellent way to regulate young bodies for the day ahead. This type of exercise will wake up sleepy heads and help overactive students get some of that energy out in order to promote a ready-to-learn state to start the school day.  

10 Classroom Exercise

The link between exercise and reducing hyperactivity is well documented in the literature (1, 2). Exercise is a way for our bodies to receive proprioceptive and vestibular input. Sometimes the more subtle ideas above are simply not enough. Sometimes a student needs STRONG sensory input through exercise throughout the day. But, understandably, heading to the gym or to the PE teacher several times a day simply isn’t an option.

A teacher can ask the student to periodically complete exercises within the classroom or in the hallway. These exercises could include jumping jacks, wall sits, cross crawls, frog jumps, ski jumps, burpees, wall pushups, and many more.  In the clinic, I often have a child complete one of these tasks while reciting the alphabet prior to sitting at the table and engaging with handwriting work.  

WHY are children fidgeting so much in the classroom setting? 

Some children fidget so much they fall out of their chairs. Why? Very simply, students who fidget are seeking out what their bodies need. When these needs are met, learning can be optimized.  

Learning in Different Settings

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced many students from traditional schools to virtual, home-based learning. Whether for an extended time or just during a period of quarantine, home/virtual learning has become familiar to us. For many districts, even the potential disruption of a snow day is addressed through virtual learning from home. 

Movement during Virtual, Home-Based Learning

While learning at home, students complete lessons in many different positions, chairs, and learning environments. Students have the option to work from their couch, from their bean bag, sitting on the stairs, standing at the kitchen table, propped up on elbows while laying on the floor, or maybe even laying on their back on their bed with their feet in the air against the wall.  

Sitting, sitting, and more sitting!

Classroom expectations are quite different from virtual learning at home. And with COVID mitigation measures in place, some schools actively discourage movement away from the child’s desk. We expect children to sit in a classroom for many hours, 5 days a week. After time away, many children are grossly out of practice with sitting for an extended period of time. Of course there will be fidgeting!  

Bonus Content

My 10 tips are meant for students seeking out movement (proprioceptive and vestibular input).  But, did you know that oral input can be quite beneficial to some as well? More specifically, chewing gum. Chewing gum has been proven to reduce anxiety and impulsivity, and to improve cognition and memory, during cognitive work tasks. (3) I keep several packs of gum at my workstation in the clinic setting and always allow my kiddos to chew gum with table work. (It is actually quite easy to chew gum while still wearing a face mask for Covid-19 precautions.) From my own observations, having a child chew gum during table tasks greatly reduces excessive talking and improves concentration to given tasks. 

Less successful fidgeting solutions

Fidget toys:  When trying to address excess fidgeting, it is important to look at the reasons for this behavior. As stated above, fidgeting is often because the student is seeking out movement. Yes, hand held fidget toys can provide a bit of movement through proprioceptive and tactile input to the hands. However, these are MUCH smaller inputs than the sensory solutions listed above. 

Weighted vests/lap pads: Weighted and compression garments do provide that calming proprioceptive input above. Unfortunately, the literature shows that they don’t actually provide the calming input that we all hope for.  Although they often feel good initially, your body quickly integrates this static input, thus losing the effectiveness of that input. For example, when you tie up your shoelaces in the morning, you feel that the shoe becomes the appropriate amount of tightness that you prefer. However, your body quickly integrates the sensation of your laced shoes, and you no longer notice that sensation. See my previous blog on weighted vests.

To conclude, fidgets can be seen as a litmus test for determining a need for vestibular or proprioceptive input. Teachers drawing on my list will have more tools in their toolbox for improving student learning. 

A final note. 

While fidgeting can be indicative of a possible need for vestibular or proprioceptive input, if fidgeting includes any of the items listed below, then seeking support from a primary care physician as a starting point for further referral may be helpful.

• highly restricted and repetitive behaviors
• the individual becomes upset when access to these behaviors is restricted
• these behaviors interfere with the individual’s ability to engage in other activities
• or social relationships are impacted by fidgeting

Referral to a physician can be helpful as unusual fidgeting could be the result of rashes, pin worms, yeast infections, UTI, GI issues, sexual/physical abuse, etc.

(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6787573/

(2) https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/exercise

(3) https://www.amazon.com/Gymnic-Disc-Inflatable-Seat-Cushion/dp/B000FPTVFK

(4) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4449949/

About the author

Melissa Foster is a Nationally Board Certified Occupational Therapist who received her Masters in Occupational Therapy from University of Central Arkansas in 2004. She came to Children’s Therapy T.E.A.M. in 2013 with a wealth of treatment experience in settings that range from clinical experience in Northwest Arkansas (NWA) to Kansas to New York. Her primary interests are treatment of children on the Autism Spectrum, treatment of children with ADHD and treatment of children with sensory processing and behavioral disorders. Melissa is an active public speaker in the NWA community on topics related to Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder. She has authored several resource materials for parents on topics such as picky eating and toys to promote development. Her blogs address topics of interest to parents and have become a popular resource for families. Melissa loves spending time with her husband and their two children. On warm summer days she enjoys sitting on her patio with a good book and a glass of iced tea.

Reviewed by Speech-Language Pathologist, Carmen Shumpert.