I'm a drummer, so mine is usually just finger-drumming to whatever is stuck in my head at the moment. But when I do use an object, spinning a pencil/pen or bic lighter around the thumb will keep me busy for hours
this post was submitted on 08 Mar 2026
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I have a few sets of plastic playing cards that I've worn the ink off of
They make it easy to do a faro shuffle, it's sooo satisfying
I have several crocheted bracelets around my wrist that I tend to fidget with.
OP, I had a floppy chain like yours, but I fidgeted too hard and broke it 😂 I liked to try to squeeze my finger in between the rubber bands and over time it didn't like me doing that lol
My favorite is my Ono Roller. It's metal and has a delightful weight to it. I got the youth size for my small hands lol. I like that it's completely silent and occupies my entire hand
I also like the Nee Doh squishies. My mini cube is my 2nd favorite fidget at the moment. The ones filled with gel are superior to the ones with white goo. The ones with more varied shape (mushroom/animal) are more likely to make fart noises when squished. (I also have to resist fidgeting too aggressively and breaking these lol. One night the intrusive thoughts won and I was biting a cube while stretching it. It was a really good bite feel, but a bunch of air got in the cube and solidified the goo and now it's extremely hard and won't squish unless you sit on it and warm it up for half an hour first lmao 😂)
Glass photo effects ball or obsidian (contact juggling), Aroundsquares Titan begleri among others, spinner rings, magnetic meditation balls and the silicon varieties, knucklebones, but I grew up with the classic manadala bead wire toy.
Rubik's cube. It's an algorithm you can memorize over the course of about a week at which point it's mostly muscle memory but it holds attention a little better than a fidget spinner.
What are your typical fidgeting algs? Mine are:
- R U R' U'
- M' E' (holding the cube diagonally)
- U R' F R
- U-perm
Other than U-perm, theses are just random moves that feel nice and cycle relatively quickly. Ive forgotten many of the PLLs, but I remember that some of them felt really satisfying
Nah I just solve it for the most part. Sometimes if I really need to stretch my brain I switch which side is the "white."
A Gravpick from Covert Instruments. It’s small and fun to flip back and forth. And I can pick locks with it if people see it and ask what it is. Unfortunately it of course looks like a teeny gravity knife so not exactly work friendly. :/
Magnet spheres! Love playing with the while working.
3D printed articulated snakes and dragons.
I tended to rub my knee until my hair grew less there...nowadays, my head just gets filled with so many thoughts, that they keep entertaining me endlessly.
I tend to rub my eyes hard, until I see things.