Are you familiar with this toy?
You might be seeing this with kids around you but perhaps you are unaware what this toy is and how you play with it. Let me enlighten you.
This became the recent season’s hottest toy in the Philippines. This is called a fidget spinner.
Photo: Pixabay
The fidget spinners are small, ball-bearing devices that are being rotated by fingers. It has two or three paddle-shaped blades that are attached to a central core. If you squeeze the core and give the blades a flick, the fidget will spin similar to that of a ceiling fan. It is available in different attractive colors and is very handy that a child can carry it inside the pocket.
Photo : Pixabay
The toy has been introduced as an antidote and an aide for those individuals who has anxiety or uneasiness, stress, autism and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
Fidgeting is a common method for managing attention. It allows constant stimulation to focus attention.
According to the users of the fidget spinner, the force of the toy creates a pleasing sensory experience that comes with tossing, transferring and twirling in different ways.
News has been spreading that this toy has been banned in some schools not only here in the Philippines but also in other countries because this toy distracts kids while in school.
And while these fidgets were driving kids and adults crazy, Jorge Macho Puentes posted on his Facebook account an incident where the finger of the baby has been stuck in one of its paddles.
Efforts have been made to remove the baby’s finger out of the hole of the spinner naturally, but nothing seemed to work until they were left with no option but to cut it with a small handsaw.
It gave them a hard time to cut it because the steel was 1/4 inch thick.
The baby was crying all throughout the process as shown in the video, knowing she was really hurt.
Minutes have passed until they were able to remove the spinner out of the baby’s finger.
However, this wasn’t the first story I’ve heard involving spinners that’s why I’ve decided to write on this so people may be warned.
Now that this toy became a fad, may this serves as a guide for all parents to be choosy with the toys that they buy for their children or what they allow their children to play.
Of course, I have nothing against playing with this spinners provided it is with due diligence and care.
As of this writing, I’ve learned that efforts have been made by victims to contact the makers but it did not turned successful.
To play with it or not to play with it?
The decision is still your’s.
A simple noted from the author:
A toy should be something enjoyable, pleasurable and educational, not something that can hurt or destroy.