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Using Fidget Spinners in the Classroom: A Learning Tool


Fidget Spinners are all the craze at the moment. It is near impossible to find a student in the classroom or the playground without one. Originally designed to assist students with Autism, fidget spinners exploded to find a universal appeal with young children.

As teachers we can either look at fidget spinners as the bane of our existence or we can utilise them to our advantage. One of the things I have heard many times over and over is that teachers should use things students are interested in to capture their attention and engage them more effectively in learning.

So as teachers why not look at fidget spinners as a positive teaching tool to engage students in learning rather than a nuisance in the classroom.

I decided to think of ways that I could use fidget spinners in different areas of my teaching to engage students in relevant learning whilst making the learning meaningful and accessible to their everyday lived experiences.

There are many ways to incorporate fidget spinners in the learning process and we as teachers are really only limited by our own creativity. Here are some ways they could be used effectively in different learning areas.

English

  • Write a persuasive text (exposition or discussion) about why fidget spinners should be allowed at school or why they should not.

  • Create an advertisement poster encouraging people to buy a fidget spinner. Alternatively, you could film students creating an advertisement for a TV commercial. (This could also be linked to Drama)

  • Write an information report about fidget spinners.

  • Write a narrative about fidget spinners.

  • Write a recount about a time when students played with a fidget spinner.

Mathematics

  • In small groups have each student time how long they can spin the fidget spinner. Record in a table of data and then present using different graphs including column and bar graphs.

  • Conduct a survey of how many students own one fidget spinner, two fidget spinners, more than 3 or do not own one. Present as a table of data. Use a picture graph to record the results.

  • Use fidget spinners in a number sentence as a starter to a lesson, for example, Anthony has 3 fidget spinners and Anna has 6. How many fidget spinners are there altogether? OR Joe has 20 fidget spinners. He shares them with 4 of his friends. How many does each person get?

Visual Arts

  • Choose an artistic technique like abstract or sketching and have students create a visual representation of a fidget spinner.

Science

  • Explore the idea of force with students and what happens when you spin softly and then harder.

  • Have students create a Scientific Diagram of a fidget spinner.

  • Have students explore what impact different materials might have on fidget spinners, for example, would a fidget spinner still work the same if it was made out of metal, or cardboard or paper.

  • Have students design and make their own fidget spinners to explore the above concept.

As teachers we should always remember: to capture our students attention we need to use what they know, what they love and what they are interested in and use it to engage them in meanigful learning.


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