Will These Toys Be Banned from Illinois Classrooms?
The new toy craze that keeps kids' hands busy is becoming a nuisance and teachers don't want to see them anymore.
These toys say they're designed to improve a child's concentration. They're even believed to reduce anxiety and stimulate learning according to a recent chicagotribune.com story. The toys are billed as 'fidget therapy' but many teachers aren't buying it.
"Frankly, we've found the fidgets were having the opposite effect of what they advertise, kids are trading them or spinning them instead of writing." Kate Ellison, principal of Washington Elementary School in Evanston.
This isn't a case of schools not seeing the benefits of 'fidget therapy', it's just that it has its place and it's not in their classrooms. There are already conversations in many Illinois school districts about banning fidget spinners from the classroom.