Sensory Putty for Kids: Therapy vs Thinking Putty

What is sensory putty, and what is it used for?

Sensory putty is any soft, moldable material made to be squeezed, stretched, pinched and rolled. Children use it as a toy or a fidget, and therapists use graded versions for exercises that build hand strength and fine finger control.⁠^1,5 Schecter and colleagues point out that occupational therapists have long used therapy toys such as sensory putty for reasons like those claimed for fidget spinners, with comparably little research behind the claims.⁠³

Three kinds turn up in most homes and classrooms: graded therapy putty, toy putties such as Thinking Putty, and homemade putty or slime. They feel alike in the hand, but they differ in what they are made of, who they are made for and what they can safely be used for.

What does sensory putty do for touch and body awareness?

Putty works on two senses at once. The tactile system processes touch information from the skin and integrates touch, pressure, temperature and pain; the proprioceptive system senses the position and movement of the muscles and joints and the effort used to move them, so squeezing against resistance gives the hand both kinds of input.⁠⁶ The part of the brain’s touch system that handles object manipulation and grasp also contributes to tactile discrimination, the skill of telling one feel from another.⁠⁷

NHS children’s occupational therapists in Glasgow open their putty program with hand warm-ups aimed at increasing the tactile and proprioceptive messages a child receives from the hands, to help motor control and the learning of movements used in writing.⁠¹ The CDC’s tips for 3-year-olds make a similar point with play dough: squishing, pressing, pinching and rolling it builds the hand and finger muscles used for writing, buttoning and cutting.⁠⁸

Children differ in how much of this input they want: some seek intense sensation, others are overwhelmed by it, which is why the same tub of putty can absorb one child and upset another.⁠⁹

What is the difference between therapy putty and Thinking Putty?

The names get used interchangeably, but they are different products.

Both can be useful. If a therapist has prescribed putty for hand strength, they mean graded therapy putty used with set exercises, because the strength is chosen to suit the child’s hand and raised step by step.⁠^5,11 If your child simply likes to squish something, a toy putty is a toy, which is a perfectly good thing for it to be.

How is putty different from slime, play dough and kinetic sand?

Parents looking for putty for kids usually have these four in mind. They differ most in what they are made of and in what goes wrong when a young child eats some.

What do therapy putty colors mean?

Therapy putty is color-coded by resistance, from softest to firmest. The order below is the one NHS children’s therapists in Glasgow give families, and a second NHS leaflet uses the same order for its five strengths, starting at yellow.⁠^1,20

How progression works: NHS children’s leaflets tell families to start with a softer putty and work up to a firmer one, with the therapist setting the exercises and the number of repetitions.⁠^1,11 Children’s Wisconsin’s home sheet, for example, has children squeeze the putty 10 times and pull it apart and squish it back together 10 times.⁠⁵

What does the research say about sensory putty?

The evidence differs by claim.

Does therapy putty build hand strength?

That is what therapists use it for. One maker says its therapy putty has been used to develop and maintain grip strength since the 1980s, and NHS hand therapy leaflets for children and adults are built around putty exercises.⁠^1,10,11,20 The reason strength matters is well documented: in 51 children with and without autism, grip strength went with pencil control, and grip and pinch strength went with independence in daily fine motor tasks.⁠²² In children with dysgraphia, pinch strength was lower than in their peers and fell further over a long writing session, along with the quality of their writing.⁠²⁷

Evidence for putty itself is thin, as Schecter and colleagues note.⁠³ One recent pilot shows why: in 13 adults with inclusion body myositis, a 12-week home putty program was judged feasible, but grip strength did not change overall, and pinch strength improved only among those who kept it up.⁠²¹ Fine motor training for children with ADHD worked in the studies a 2021 scoping review found, but those programs combined several approaches rather than putty alone.⁠²³

Can putty help with handwriting?

Only as one part of a bigger picture. Handwriting rests on many component skills, including fine motor control, visual-motor integration, motor planning, in-hand manipulation, proprioception, visual perception, sustained attention and sensory awareness of the fingers, and handwriting difficulties affect 10 to 30% of school-age children and do not resolve without intervention.⁠²⁸ Occupational therapy programs for 4 to 6 year olds improved the skills they targeted, in studies that were not randomized trials.⁠²⁹ If handwriting is the concern, an occupational therapy assessment can find which component is weak, whether that is strength, coordination or dysgraphia.

Can putty calm an anxious child?

It may, for some children, but the evidence is indirect. In randomized trials, children who squeezed a stress ball felt less fear and anxiety during a cast fitting than children who did not, and children squeezing a stress ball had less pain and anxiety during an IV insertion.⁠^24,30 Those studies tested distraction during a stressful procedure, not daily calming. In adults with ADHD put through a laboratory stress test, a fidget ball made no difference to heart rate, heart rate variability or fidgeting.⁠²⁵

The sensory strategy with the strongest evidence in a 2025 review, deep pressure, came from weighted items and massage, not from anything squeezed in the hand, and a 2018 review of individual techniques found strong evidence only for a massage program and limited evidence for weighted vests.⁠^31,32 So a tub of putty is a reasonable thing to offer a child who finds it soothing; it is not a calming plan on its own.

Does sensory putty help with focus and ADHD?

This is the claim attached to fidget tools most often, and the one the evidence supports least.

The classroom study. Sixty children with ADHD, average age 4.86 years, took part in an A-B-A-B design with accelerometers and five minutes of classroom video coded for attention. Across both phases, spinner use went with poorer attention; the authors concluded that fidget spinners negatively influence young children’s attention even within an evidence-based classroom program.⁠²⁶ A 2025 review counted that study against fidget spinners and judged strategies aimed at the sense a task uses, such as hearing for listening, more effective than a tactile strategy such as a fidget.⁠³¹

The small studies. Single-case designs, which follow a few children closely, point both ways. Three second graders with ADHD spent much more time on task with a fidget spinner, but their teacher said they did not finish more work; three third graders given a fidget cube showed no improvement in engagement or math work.⁠^33,34 A 2024 meta-analysis of 10 such studies with 59 students found effects ranging from strongly negative to strongly positive, with a small positive average.⁠⁴

The reviews. A 2023 review concluded that fidget toys have been marketed as universal educational supports without a scientific evidence base and that there is not sufficient support for using them in classrooms, and a 2024 report for special educators reached the same verdict.⁠^35,36 A 2015 systematic review of 30 studies of sensory-based treatments with 856 children found too little evidence to support them.⁠³⁷

Why might fidgeting help some children with ADHD?

Movement itself may help some children with ADHD think. In boys aged 8 to 12 with ADHD, working memory was better at higher activity levels, though not normal, while typically developing boys did slightly worse when they moved more; in children aged 10 to 17, more intense movement went with more accurate answers in the ADHD group only.⁠^38,39 That is a case for letting children with ADHD move, not proof that a fidget toy helps.

• Putty is not a spinner

  Putty is quiet and does not spin, so the spinner studies may not transfer to it, but therapy toys such as sensory putty have comparably little research of their own.⁠³

• Thin evidence is not proof of no effect

  Whether a fidget helps one particular child is a question to test, which is what the 2024 report advises: watch task engagement and work completion over a set time.⁠³⁶

Where that leaves putty: a calming toy is a real benefit, but do not buy it expecting better schoolwork.

Should sensory putty go to school?

• Ask the teacher first rather than sending it in. Teachers have reason to be cautious, since the reviews find too little support for fidgets in class.⁠^35,36
• Agree on rules. In the fidget spinner study, children learned five rules before using one: two fingers on it at all times, use it only while working or listening, eyes on the teacher or the work, use it quietly, and nobody else uses it. The rules were written at the teacher’s request after concerns about misuse, such as tossing the spinner across the room.⁠³³
• Decide how to judge it. Watch whether work gets done, not only whether your child looks calmer; in the spinner study, children looked more on task while the teacher saw no more work completed.⁠^33,36
• Look at the bigger plan. Putty is at most one small piece. The resources for teachers collect classroom strategies, and supporting children with ADHD at home and school covers the wider plan.

What are good therapy putty exercises for kids?

Free squishing is fine as play. For hand strength, these are the exercises children’s therapy leaflets from US and UK hospitals give, done with graded putty as a therapist sets them.⁠^1,5,11

How do you make sensory putty at home?

You do not need to buy anything, but homemade putty is made the way slime is, by linking school glue with a binder, so the recipe decides how safe it is.⁠¹⁴

• Glue and liquid starch

  A school district occupational therapist’s handout mixes 2 cups of white glue with 1 cup of liquid starch, adding them in stages, then pulls the mixture like taffy until it snaps.⁠⁴⁰ Starch recipes are safer than borax recipes.⁠¹⁴

• Glue and cornstarch

  Missouri Poison Center describes a glue putty made from cornstarch and white school glue, with the safety advantage of leaving out borax.⁠¹⁴

• Cornstarch and water

  For a child who still puts things in the mouth, Missouri Poison Center recommends edible recipes made only from food, such as cornstarch and water, rather than any glue recipe.⁠¹⁴

• Firmer or softer

  The same handout adjusts texture by adding more glue or cornstarch and stores the putty airtight.⁠⁴⁰ Homemade putty has no graded strength, so it cannot stand in for a therapist’s color-coded putty.

Is homemade slime with borax safe?

Only with an adult in charge. Borax, or sodium borate, became a common slime ingredient; Poison Control notes that it can irritate skin and eyes, that prolonged contact may lead to burns, and that swallowing a significant amount can be toxic.⁠¹⁵ Doctors in Vancouver described a 10-year-old with an itchy rash on both palms after playing with slime, one of growing reports of slime dermatitis and even chemical burns in children.⁠¹⁶ French poison centers recorded 208 slime exposures from 2014 to 2018, nearly all minor, and concluded that homemade slime is a source of boric acid exposure that adults must supervise.⁠¹³ Store-bought products are not always clean either: Dutch inspectors found boron above the European limit in 13% of putties and 35% of slimes tested, and preservatives that may sensitize skin in 36% of samples.⁠⁴²

Missouri Poison Center’s rules for borax slime: an adult mixes it, ideally with gloves; nobody eats or drinks while making or playing with it; everyone washes hands afterward; pregnant women avoid borax recipes; and play is limited to about 30 minutes to an hour a day, which it calls reasonable rather than a hard rule.⁠¹⁴

On scented and glittery versions: for a child who is over-responsive, a strong scent can make putty intolerable, since over-responsive children can react strongly to smells as well as touch.⁠⁴³ Plain and unscented is the safer default. Skip no-cook dough made with raw flour, which the CDC warns can carry germs that cause food poisoning if children eat it.⁠¹⁸

Which children enjoy sensory putty, and which avoid it?

Putty is not universally appealing, and forcing it defeats the point. How a child takes to it depends partly on their sensory profile.⁠⁹

If your child’s response is inconsistent, that may be load rather than preference: sensory processing can shift with stress, fatigue and surroundings, so a texture tolerable one day can be unbearable the next, and sensory input can build up over the day.⁠^44,45 The guide to living with sensory processing differences looks at how that plays out at home.

Is Thinking Putty safe for toddlers?

• Not under 3. Thinking Putty’s maker says it is not for children under 3 because it can pose a choking hazard.⁠² Poison Control gives the same warning for its cousins, calling play dough a possible choking hazard and kinetic sand a choking hazard.⁠^17,19
• Not for children who mouth things, at any age. Sheffield Children’s tells families not to eat the putty or leave it near young children or pets.⁠¹¹
• Magnetic putty is for ages 8 and up, its maker says.⁠² If a putty comes with a magnet, treat the magnet as the hazard. Swallowed magnets can stick together through the bowel wall, cutting off blood supply and causing tissue death; CPSC estimates 26,600 magnet ingestions were treated in emergency rooms from 2010 through 2021.⁠^12,46 Keep the magnet away from younger siblings and count it after play.⁠¹²
• Keep it off hair, rugs and clothes, which it can stain; overstretched putty breaks into strands that stick to carpets and clothing.⁠^1,11 Dab stray bits with a larger lump, since putty sticks to putty, and for fabric work in 70% or stronger rubbing alcohol before washing, as the maker of Thinking Putty advises.⁠²
• Wash hands before and after, and give each child their own piece.⁠^1,11
• Check for allergies. The makers of one leading therapy putty and of Thinking Putty say their putties contain no latex or gluten, while play dough contains wheat.⁠^2,10,17 Read the label on any other putty.
• Store it sealed, in an airtight container, and chill putty that has gone warm or sticky.⁠^1,11

What should you do if a child swallows putty or a magnet?

If the child is choking or struggling to breathe, call 911.⁠⁴⁷ If a magnet may have been swallowed, get medical care immediately; do not make the child vomit or give food or drink, and know that two magnets stuck together can look like one on an X-ray.⁠^12,48 For putty, slime or dough swallowed without symptoms, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or use its webPOISONCONTROL tool.⁠^17,49

When is sensory putty not the answer?

If you are here because your child struggles to sit still, cannot settle or is falling apart in class, the useful move is an assessment rather than a tool. AOTA’s Practice Smart recommendations tell occupational therapists not to provide sensory-based interventions to a child without documented assessment results.⁠⁵⁰

Consider an occupational therapy assessment if sensory responses are interfering with school, sleep, self-care or family life; the 2007 classification of sensory processing disorder proposes diagnosing it only when difficulties impair daily routines or roles.⁠⁴⁴ If attention is the main concern, talk with your pediatrician; the comparison of ADHD and sensory processing differences explains how the two are told apart, and the guide to testing for sensory processing disorder explains what an evaluation involves.

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Sources

1. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, children’s occupational therapy. Theraputty activities. Checked October 10, 2026.
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   Leaflet, undated, hosted by Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. “Theraputty activities will help to develop your hand strength and ability to control fine finger movements”; “Theraputty is available in a range of strengths or resistances. The different strengths are colour coded as follows: Tan: extra-extra soft; Yellow: extra soft; Red: soft; Green: medium; Blue: firm; Black: extra firm. We normally only work with yellow, red and green theraputty when working with children and young people. As a rule of thumb we would use yellow with nursery and early years primary school children, red with mid to late primary school children, and green with older children ... it is better to start with a softer resistance and work up to a firmer strength.” The hand warm-ups “are aimed at increasing the tactile and proprioceptive sensory messages the child receives from their hands ... This should help improve motor control and aid motor memory for learning movements involved in fine motor tasks such as writing.” Activities include Full Grip, Finger Dig, Thumb Press, Pinching, Finger Spread, Volcano, Stretch, Make Your Name and Hide and Seek (“hiding small objects (beads, marbles, small pegs, pennies) inside the putty and then try pulling and pinching them out”), along with snakes, snails, spiders and fried eggs. Advice: “Wash hands before and after”; “Ideally each child should use the same piece of theraputty at each session”; overstretched putty “can break down into fine strands ... they ‘stick’ to carpets and clothing”; “To remove fine bits of putty from the table surface daub with a large blob of theraputty”; “Theraputty should be kept in an air tight container.”
2. Crazy Aaron’s. Frequently Asked Questions. Crazyaarons.com, undated. Checked October 10, 2026.
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   “Thinking Putty does not include latex, gluten, wheat compounds, or phthalates”; “Thinking Putty is not for children under 3 as it can pose a choking hazard. Some products like our Magnetic Thinking Putty and Mixed by Me Kits are recommended for ages 8+”; “Thinking Putty is made of non-toxic silicone”; the range includes Hypercolor (color-changing), magnetic and Liquid Glass putties. For fabric: “Putty sticks to putty very well! Use a small lump that you’ve scraped off to pick the remaining putty away. Using 70% (or greater) Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol ... rub the alcohol into the putty,” then wash.
3. Schecter RA, Shah J, Fruitman K, Milanaik RL. Fidget spinners: purported benefits, adverse effects and accepted alternatives. Current Opinion in Pediatrics. 2017;29(5):616–618. PMID 28692449. Checked October 10, 2026.
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   “While fidget spinners are a new phenomenon, existing therapy toys (e.g. sensory putty) have been used by occupational therapists for similar reasons, with comparably little research supporting these claims”; “fidget spinners and other self-regulatory occupational therapy toys have yet to be subjected to rigorous scientific research. Thus, their alleged benefits remain scientifically unfounded. Paediatricians should be aware of potential choking hazards with this new fad.”
4. Schoenen EC, Martinez JC, Grekov P, Aspiranti KB, Hulac D. Fidget devices as academic and behavioral interventions: a meta-analysis of single-case design studies. Education and Treatment of Children. 2024;47:231–244. Published online October 14, 2024. Checked October 10, 2026.
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   “Ten studies with a total of 59 students were included in the analysis. Results indicate that the effects of fidget devices vary widely with Tau-BC effects ranging from -1.00 to 1.00 ... There is an overall positive treatment effect with LRR = 0.32 (95% CI = [0.08, 0.56]) and Tau-BC = 0.33”; studies that met What Works Clearinghouse standards and were run in group settings had higher effects.
5. Children’s Wisconsin. Theraputty Exercises. Teaching sheet, draft 1382, revised January 1, 2024. Checked October 10, 2026.
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   “It is used to exercise your child’s hand. It helps develop hand strength and coordination. The type of putty your child will get depends on how much exercise their hand needs.” Exercises: squeeze putty using fingers and thumb, “Do this 10 times”; roll a snake about 12 inches long; pinch across the roll with index finger and thumb; “Pull putty apart with 2 hands then squish back together. Repeat 10 times.” Other ideas: “Hide small objects in putty for your child to find,” “Use the roll to form letters or words,” and “Make a monster. Flatten putty into round pancake and lay it over your child’s fist. Have the child open hand and watch fingers poke through putty.”
6. STAR Institute for Sensory Processing. Your 8 Senses. Sensoryhealth.org, undated. Checked October 10, 2026.
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   “The tactile system is responsible for processing touch information from the body”; the somatosensory cortex “integrates touch, pressure, temperature, and pain.” “The proprioceptive system ... senses the position, location, orientation, and movement of the body muscles and joints. Proprioception provides us with the sense of the relative position of neighboring parts of the body and effort used to move body parts.”
7. Lane SJ, Mailloux Z, Schoen S, Bundy A, May-Benson TA, Parham LD, Smith Roley S, Schaaf RC. Neural foundations of Ayres Sensory Integration®. Brain Sciences. 2019;9(7):153. PMID 31261689. Checked October 10, 2026.
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   “Somatosensation comprises touch and proprioception”; tactile sensations project to “the secondary somatosensory cortex (S2), a region that contributes to object manipulation and grasp as well as to tactile discrimination.”
8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Milestones by 3 Years. Page dated May 15, 2026. Checked October 10, 2026.
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   “Let your child play with playdough by squishing it, pressing it, pinching it, and making balls in different colors. This builds her hand and finger muscles for writing, buttoning, and cutting”; “If your child is not meeting one or more milestones, has lost skills he or she once had, or you have other concerns, act early. Talk with your child’s doctor, share your concerns, and ask about developmental screening.”
9. STAR Institute for Sensory Processing. Patterns or Subtypes of Differences in Sensory Integration & Processing. Sensoryhealth.org, undated. Checked October 10, 2026.
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   “Some may feel overwhelmed by sensory input, while others might actively seek out intense sensory experiences. Additionally, there are those who may not notice sensations that others find significant”; people who are over-responsive “may try to avoid or minimize sensations, e.g. withdraw from being touched or cover their ears to avoid loud sounds”; people who are under-responsive “require more intensity and repetition of sensation than others.”
10. Fabrication Enterprises. TheraPutty® exercise material. Fab-ent.com, undated. “TheraPutty® hand exercise material is used by therapists to develop and maintain grip strength since the 1980s”; “standard TheraPutty® material is made from a silicone polymer and is gluten, latex, nuts, egg and soy free.” Checked October 10, 2026.
11. Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. Therapy putty grip and strengthening exercises. Resource OT36, undated. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    “The putty is available in a range of colour-coded strengths which your therapists will explain to you. You will start with softer putty and work up to a stronger one, guided by your therapist”; “Wash your hands before and after using the putty”; “If the putty becomes too warm or sticky, place the putty in its tub and put in the fridge”; “Do not allow the putty to come into contact with rugs, fabric, hair or clothes as it can stain these materials”; “Do not eat the putty or leave it near young children or pets.” Its exercises include a three fingered tripod pinch: “Place the putty between your thumb and the fingertips of your index and middle fingers. Squeeze your thumb and two fingers together until they meet.”
12. National Capital Poison Center, Poison Control. “Toy” magnets are dangerous for children. Poison.org, undated. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    “The magnets, or a magnet and another metal object, can stick to each other, even through folds of gastrointestinal tissue. This pinches off blood supply to the area, causing tissue death, bleeding, and infection”; “After using magnets, count each piece to make sure none are missing”; if anyone swallows a magnet, “Do not try to make the person throw up. Do not give anything to drink or eat.”
13. Labadie M, Langrand J, Leroux G, Manel J, Nisse P, Sapori JM, Tournoud C, Sinno-Tellier S, Greillet C, Solal C. Exposures associated with making or playing with viscoelastic polymer toys known as Slime: a retrospective case series from French Poison Control Centres. Clinical Toxicology. 2020;58(6):482–487. PMID 31475854. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    Slime’s “preparation is based on the crosslinking of polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate or starch with boric acid.” From January 2014 to May 2018, “Two hundred and eight (208) cases of exposure were recorded ... Eighty-two (82) patients were symptomatic, including 81 cases of low severity and one of average severity (keratitis). All cases lead to recovery”; “making Slime with home ingredients is a potential cause of boric acid exposure that must be supervised by adults.”
14. Missouri Poison Center. Is homemade slime safe or toxic? April 18, 2017. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    Slime is “the basic goop made with household products borax, white school glue, and water”; “Gak is a related polymer except liquid laundry starch is used to stick the white school glue molecules together instead of borax. Glue putty/silly putty can be made with corn starch and white school glue ... there is a safety benefit to ditching the borax”; edible slimes “are made from food ingredients only and are the safest of all for young children. Oobleck is made with cornstarch and water.” Rules: “Young children or others who may put the slime in their mouth should play only with edible slime made with food. Non-borax recipes that use starch are safer overall than the ones that use borax. Pregnant women should avoid borax-slime recipes. Making slime with borax should be supervised by an adult”; “Ideally, gloves should be worn while mixing”; “There should be no eating, drinking, or food preparation while making or playing with borax slime”; “thirty minutes to an hour a day seems reasonable”; “Always wash your hands after touching or playing with slime.”
15. National Capital Poison Center, Poison Control. Borates, borax, and boric acid: Are they safe? Poison.org, undated. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    Borax, or sodium borate, “gained popularity as a component in homemade slime recipes, which caused some concern due to potential health risks if it was mishandled or ingested”; “If swallowed in significant quantities, boric acid can be toxic”; “Boric acid can cause irritation to the skin and eyes. Prolonged contact may lead to burns or more serious damage.”
16. Kong C, Lam JM. Slime dermatitis. CMAJ. 2019;191(19):E536. PMID 31085564. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    A 10-year-old girl had an itchy eruption on both hands after playing with slime; she had a similar eruption after playing with homemade slime made with sodium borate (borax). “Rising interest in homemade slime, fuelled by social media and proponents of slime as a sensory play tool, has led to increasing reports of hand dermatitis and even chemical burns in children”; “Sodium borate is a known contact irritant.”
17. National Capital Poison Center, Poison Control. Is Play-Doh edible? Poison.org, undated. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    “Play-Doh is a reusable modeling product made mostly of water, salt, and flour. It also contains lubricants such as mineral oil or vegetable oil, surfactants to decrease stickiness, preservatives (such as borax or sodium benzoate) ... fragrances for smell, and pigments for color”; “Play-Doh is labeled as safe for children 2 years and older”; “It could also present a choking hazard”; “Since Play-Doh contains wheat, it can trigger a gluten allergy in people with an allergy to wheat gluten”; if someone swallows it, “use the webPOISONCONTROL® online tool to get help, or call your poison center at 1-800-222-1222.”
18. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Raw Flour and Dough. Page dated November 24, 2025. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    “Flour doesn’t look like a raw food, but most flour is raw. That means it hasn’t been treated to kill germs that cause food poisoning, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Salmonella”; do not “Let children play with or eat dough made with raw flour. This includes dough for crafts.”
19. National Capital Poison Center, Poison Control. Is Kinetic Sand poisonous? Poison.org, undated. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    “Kinetic Sand is made of 98% ultra-fine grain sand combined with 2% dimethicone (polydimethylsiloxane)”; “While Kinetic Sand is not poisonous if eaten, it does pose a choking hazard, and if large amounts are eaten, it can cause constipation. In severe cases, it is possible for Kinetic Sand to cause gastrointestinal obstruction.”
20. Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. Therapy putty exercise and information sheet. Leaflet, undated. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    “Therapy putty is available in a range of strengths or resistances. The different strengths are colour coded as follows: Yellow: extra soft; Red: soft; Green: medium; Blue: firm; Black: extra firm”; “Do not allow putty to come in contact with fabric or carpets for any length of time as it can be very difficult to remove.”
21. Archer M, Cooper I, Beer K, Oehmen R, Doverty A, Panicker A, Needham M. A pilot study to evaluate the efficacy of an at-home TheraPutty® hand exercise intervention on strength and function in adults with inclusion body myositis. Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology. Published online July 9, 2026. PMID 42446707. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    A 12-week single-arm pilot in 13 adults: “Intention-to-treat analysis showed no significant changes in grip or pinch strength, although Box and Block performance improved significantly bilaterally. In the per-protocol analysis, significant improvements were observed in non-dominant 2-point and bilateral 3-point pinch strength. Fatigue, pain, and difficulty using even the lowest resistance TheraPutty® limited adherence.”
22. Alaniz ML, Galit E, Necesito CI, Rosario ER. Hand strength, handwriting, and functional skills in children with autism. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2015;69(4):6904220030. PMID 26114459. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    Fifty-one children with and without autism: “Grip strength correlated with pencil control in both groups and with handwriting legibility in the typically developing children but not in the children with autism. Grip and pinch strength correlated with independence with functional activities in both groups.”
23. Lelong M, Zysset A, Nievergelt M, Luder R, Gotz U, Schulze C, Wieber F. How effective is fine motor training in children with ADHD? A scoping review. BMC Pediatrics. 2021;21(1):490. PMID 34736439. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    Twelve articles: “All interventions including more than one session were effective in the treatment of fine motor deficiencies in children with ADHD”; “multiple approaches including specific fine motor and cognitive training components, some kind of physical activity, feedback mechanisms, or multimodal treatments can be successful.”
24. Sayar SE, Barbak ZD, Delice O. Effect of stress ball use on fear and anxiety during pediatric casting procedures. Journal of Trauma Nursing. 2025;32(3):134–140. PMID 40338187. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    A randomized controlled trial in 66 children aged 6 to 12 with extremity fractures: “The stress ball group showed decreased fear scores ... while controls showed increases ... State anxiety scores decreased in the stress ball group ... but remained unchanged in controls”; “stress ball distraction reduced fear and anxiety in children during the casting procedures.”
25. Elahi H, Son HM, Calub CA, Nasiri N, Shapiro D, Isbister K, Borden J, Hastings PD, Liu X, Schweitzer JB. Impact of fidget devices on anxiety and physiological responses in adults with ADHD. Research in Developmental Disabilities. 2025;158:104944. PMID 39946958. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    Adults with ADHD randomly assigned to a fidget ball (n = 49) or none (n = 24) during the Trier Social Stress Test: “Heart rate and fidgeting increased across TSST stages for both groups, with no significant differences in heart rate, HRV, or intrinsic fidgeting between groups”; the results “provide preliminary evidence that the fidget ball may disrupt the expected association between intrinsic fidgeting and HRV.”
26. Graziano PA, Garcia AM, Landis TD. To fidget or not to fidget, that is the question: a systematic classroom evaluation of fidget spinners among young children with ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders. 2020;24(1):163–171. PMID 29676193. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    “Using an A-B-A-B design, 60 children (Mage = 4.86 years, 83% Hispanic) diagnosed with ADHD participated in the study ... Children wore accelerometers and were videotaped for 5-min during class in which attentional data were coded. Results: During the initial phase of treatment (but not during the final phase), the use of fidget spinners was associated with a decrease in activity levels. Children’s use of fidget spinners was associated with poorer attention across both phases of treatment. Conclusion: Fidget spinners negatively influence young children with ADHD’s attentional functioning, even in the context of an evidence-based classroom intervention.”
27. Engel-Yeger B, Rosenblum S. The effects of protracted graphomotor tasks on tripod pinch strength and handwriting performance in children with dysgraphia. Disability and Rehabilitation. 2010;32(21):1749–1757. PMID 20373859. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    Fifty-one children in third to fifth grade, 23 with dysgraphia: tripod pinch strength was significantly lower in the children with dysgraphia than in typically developing peers, and “This deterioration in tripod-pinch strength was associated with a significant deterioration in handwriting process and product measures along the protracted task”; “Pinch force that is required for mastering the handwriting tool needs to be considered.”
28. Feder KP, Majnemer A. Handwriting development, competency, and intervention. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. 2007;49(4):312–317. PMID 17376144. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    “Fine motor control, bilateral and visual-motor integration, motor planning, in-hand manipulation, proprioception, visual perception, sustained attention, and sensory awareness of the fingers are some of the component skills identified”; handwriting difficulties “do not resolve without intervention and affect between 10 and 30% of school-aged children.”
29. Kadar M, Wan Yunus F, Tan E, Chai SC, Razaob Razab NA, Mohamat Kasim DH. A systematic review of occupational therapy intervention for handwriting skills in 4–6 year old children. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. 2020;67(1):3–12. PMID 31799722. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    Seven studies: “The review found no randomised control trial study design pertaining to the reviewed area. However, it can be seen that occupational therapy interventions for writing skills in 4–6 year old children managed to increase the targeted skills.”
30. Dehnavi RD, Sharifi N, Jamshidi Z, Shirazi ZH. Pinwheel blowing and stress ball squeezing reduce children’s pain and anxiety during intravenous catheterization in a randomized controlled trial. Scientific Reports. 2025;15(1):31359. PMID 40858812. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    Ninety children aged 6 to 12 randomized to stress ball, pinwheel or control: pain and anxiety were lower in both intervention groups than in controls; “Both interventions were effective, but pinwheel blowing showed greater reductions in pain.”
31. Piller A, McHugh Conlin J, Glennon TJ, Andelin L, Auld-Wright K, Teng K, Tarver T. Systematic review of sensory-based interventions for children and youth (2015–2024). Frontiers in Pediatrics. 2025;13:1720179. PMID 41321460. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    Twenty-one level I and II studies of children and youth aged 0 to 21 with sensory integration or processing challenges: “Strong strength of evidence supported use of deep pressure tactile input and caregiver training on the use of sensory strategies. Moderate strength of evidence supported that alternative seating did not improve attention. Additionally moderate strength of evidence supported targeting a variety of sensory systems is more effective than targeting only one system.” Of the four deep pressure studies, “two of which examined weighted items and two of which examined massage”; a fidget spinner study showed “increased violations of attention as compared to the control”; “interventions targeting the auditory system were more effective for activities involving auditory input than using a tactile-based strategy, such as a fidget, to support attention.”
32. Bodison SC, Parham LD. Specific sensory techniques and sensory environmental modifications for children and youth with sensory integration difficulties: a systematic review. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2018;72(1):7201190040. PMID 29280714. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    Eight studies from 2007 to 2015: “Strong evidence supported Qigong massage, moderate evidence supported sensory modifications to the dental care environment, and limited evidence supported weighted vests. The evidence is insufficient to draw conclusions regarding slow linear swinging and incorporation of multisensory activities into preschool settings.”
33. Aspiranti KB, Hulac DM. Using fidget spinners to improve on-task classroom behavior for students with ADHD. Behavior Analysis in Practice. 2022;15(2):454–465. Published online June 2, 2021. PMID 35692528. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    Three second-grade students with ADHD: “visual analysis of time-series graphs showed large immediate and sustained increases in on-task behavior during fidget spinner use.” The rules were “(a) ‘I need two fingers on the fidget spinner at all times,’ (b) ‘I only use my fidget spinner when I am doing work or listening to the teacher,’ (c) ‘I need to keep my eyes on the teacher or my work when I am using my fidget spinner,’ (d) ‘I need to use my fidget spinner quietly without distracting others,’ and (e) ‘I am the only person who can use my fidget spinner during class time,’” added because of teacher concerns about misuse, such as “tossing the spinner across the room.” The teacher rated the intervention at the lowest score on every item and said that “even though the students may have looked toward their work and were quieter when using the fidget spinners, they did not actually complete the work.”
34. Croley KE, Drevon DD, Decker DM, Hixson MD, Radley KC. The effect of the Fidget Cube on classroom behavior among students with perceived attention difficulties. Behavior Analysis in Practice. 2023;16(2):547–557. Published online August 18, 2022. PMID 35999944. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    An ABAB withdrawal design with three third graders referred for attention difficulties: “Results indicated that noncontingent access to the Fidget Cube during independent seatwork did not improve study outcomes. Participants engaged with the Fidget Cube less in the second intervention phase than the first. Results suggest school personnel should consider alternative strategies.”
35. Kriescher SL, Hulac DM, Ryan AM, King BL. Evaluating the evidence for fidget toys in the classroom. Intervention in School and Clinic. 2023;59(1):66–69. Published online October 18, 2022. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    “Fidget toys have been marketed as universal educational supports in the absence of a scientific evidence base. This article gives an overview of the existing literature on the effect of fidget toy use on student attention, behavior, and learning, and a review of two competing theoretical approaches to fidget toys: sensory processing theory and cognitive load theory. Currently, there is not sufficient support for the implementation of fidget toys in the classroom.”
36. Stephenson J. Fidget toys for students with disabilities in school settings. InSpEd Research Reports, Institute of Special Educators, September 2024. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    “There is very limited evidence to support the use of fidget toys and the theory underpinning recommended use is not supported by the evidence ... If used by students with ADHD, they may reduce disruptive behaviour. The desired effects, including improvement in task engagement and work completion, should be very carefully monitored over a specific time-span to allow for data-based evaluation of effectiveness.”
37. Barton EE, Reichow B, Schnitz A, Smith IC, Sherlock D. A systematic review of sensory-based treatments for children with disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities. 2015;37:64–80. PMID 25460221. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    “Thirty studies involving 856 participants met our inclusion criteria ... The research on sensory-based treatments is limited due to insubstantial treatment outcomes, weak experimental designs, or high risk of bias ... insufficient evidence exists to support their use.”
38. Sarver DE, Rapport MD, Kofler MJ, Raiker JS, Friedman LM. Hyperactivity in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): impairing deficit or compensatory behavior? Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. 2015;43(7):1219–1232. PMID 25863472. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    Boys aged 8 to 12 with ADHD (n = 29) and typically developing boys (n = 23): “higher rates of activity level predicted significantly better, but not normalized WM performance for children with ADHD. Conversely, higher rates of activity level predicted somewhat lower WM performance for TD children. Variations in movement did not predict changes in attention for either group.”
39. Hartanto TA, Krafft CE, Iosif AM, Schweitzer JB. A trial-by-trial analysis reveals more intense physical activity is associated with better cognitive control performance in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Child Neuropsychology. 2016;22(5):618–626. PMID 26059476. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    In 44 children aged 10 to 17, “more intense movement was associated with better performance in the ADHD group but not in the TD group”; “excessive motoric activity associated with clinically significant ADHD symptoms may reflect compensatory efforts to modulate attention and alertness.”
40. Atkinson A. Making your own playdough & theraputty. School District of Philadelphia, undated. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    “finding hidden ‘treasures’ (pennies, buttons, etc.) in putty ... are all great ways to work on fine motor development.” Theraputty with liquid starch: “2 cups of white glue, 1 cup of liquid starch ... pour 1 cup of glue followed by 1/2 cup of starch. Mix ingredients thoroughly. Add the remaining glue, liquid starch and food coloring ... Add more glue or cornstarch as needed until you get the right texture ... pull the mixture away from your body in long strands. Repeat this process several times as if you were pulling taffy candy. When the putty begins to pop and snap like silly putty might do, you have reached the proper texture. Store in an airtight container.”
41. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Small Parts Ban and Choking Hazard Labeling. CPSC business guidance, undated. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    “Children’s products that are intended for use by children under 3 that present a choking, aspiration, or ingestion hazard because of small parts are banned hazardous substances”; the small parts cylinder “approximates the size of the fully expanded throat of a child under three years old.”
42. Braver MWD, Schakel DJ, Hendriks HS, Schuur AG, Brand W, Sijm DTHM, Bouma K. Monitoring and risk assessment of hazardous chemicals in toy-slime and putty in the Netherlands. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. 2021;125:105000. PMID 34233207. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    Twenty-three toy slimes and 16 putties: “For 35% of the toy-slimes and 13% of the putties, the migration of boron exceeded the European legal limit”; “In 36% of the toy samples, methylisothiazolinone (MI) and chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMI) were detected”; “The estimated exposure to boron did not exceed the health based guidance value”; “The presence of isothiazolinones may lead to skin sensitisation.”
43. STAR Institute for Sensory Processing. Symptoms Checklist. Sensoryhealth.org, undated. The preschool and school-age lists include “My child is highly sensitive to stimulation, has big reactions to / does not like touch, noise, smells, etc.” Checked October 10, 2026.
44. Miller LJ, Anzalone ME, Lane SJ, Cermak SA, Osten ET. Concept evolution in sensory integration: a proposed nosology for diagnosis. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2007;61(2):135–140. PMID 17436834. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    “We propose that a diagnosis of SPD be made if, and only if, the sensory processing difficulties impair daily routines or roles”; people with sensory seeking “crave an unusual amount or type of sensory input and seem to have an insatiable desire for sensation”; “sensory input often has a summative effect; thus, a sudden exaggerated response may occur to a seeming trivial event because of the accumulated events of the day.”
45. STAR Institute for Sensory Processing. Understanding the Sensory Integration Process. Sensoryhealth.org, undated. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    “Sensory discrimination refers to how our brains and nervous systems recognize and interpret different sensory experiences, such as distinguishing between the sound of our mobile phone and our landline ... This ability is crucial for creating a clear picture of our environment and understanding our place within it”; “Effective praxis depends on the integration of our tactile, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems”; and “Sensory processing isn’t static; it can fluctuate based on factors like stress, fatigue, or environmental changes. A person might find a certain fabric tolerable one day and unbearable the next.”
46. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC approves new federal safety standard for magnets to prevent deaths and serious injuries from high-powered magnet ingestion. News release 22-219, September 7, 2022. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    “When high-powered magnets are swallowed, they can attract to each other, or to other material that attracts to magnets, through internal body tissue. This can result in perforations, twisting and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning and death”; “CPSC estimates 26,600 magnet ingestions were treated in hospital ERs from 2010 through 2021.”
47. National Capital Poison Center, Poison Control. Are squishy toys toxic? Burn, choking, and counterfeit risks. Poison.org, undated. “If your child is choking or having trouble breathing or swallowing, call 911.” Checked October 10, 2026.
48. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Magnets. CPSC Safety Education Center, undated. “When two or more magnets are swallowed, they attract each other internally”; “If you suspect magnets have been swallowed: Seek immediate medical attention ... In X-rays, multiple magnetic pieces may appear as a single object.” Checked October 10, 2026.
49. National Capital Poison Center, Poison Control. Stressing about stress balls. Poison.org, undated. Checked October 10, 2026.
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    “Stress balls, also called fidget balls, squishy balls, and hand exercise balls ... are not toxic if some of the material is ingested, unless the person chokes as the material is being swallowed”; “Seek help immediately if water beads were swallowed or if there are symptoms that suggest that the person is choking or has an abdominal obstruction.”
50. American Occupational Therapy Association. Practice Smart. AOTA, undated. Recommendation 2: “Don’t provide sensory-based interventions to individual children or youth without documented assessment results of difficulties processing or integrating sensory information.” Checked October 10, 2026.

Medical disclaimer. This page is for general educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider about your child.