Nellie's Guide to Being Little: Vol. 1

A guide to stim toys!

Here's a great post by slimeworks on Tumblr. Enjoy!!

- Nellie💕✨🍼

a guide to stim toys!
trying to decide what stim toy you want? i'm here to help !!
(note: this is based off me n a few others' experiences)
Fidgets
tangle toys
fidget cubes
spinners
bike chains
other moving part toys
Pros:
-easy to get your hands on
-typically not expensive
-wide variety
Cons:
-not very discreet
a popular, well-liked type of stim toy! good for keeping focused, self regulation, and they're pretty fun to play with ! there's quite a variety of them out there, some may not even be marketed as stim toys (ex: plastic toys from stores).
Chews
chew jewelry (necklaces/bracelets)
chew toys
teether rings
Pros:
-meant for chewing! you won't break em
-no more chewing on wires/fingernails/etc
-jewelry can be designed nicely to look like regular jewelry
Cons:
-actual chew jewelry/toys are harder to get and can be pricey
-teether rings aren't discreet
many autistic people never outgrew the instinct/need to put thing in their mouth or chew on things! and some other nd people chew for other reasons! that's what these are for! plus, they can also help with anger management!
tip: if you don't want people to see your chew necklace, tuck it under your shirt and chew when you're alone/no one's looking!
Squishies
stress balls
moni moni animals
stretchy rubber toys
Pros:
-fairly easy to get
-inexpensive
-stress balls are a "normal office toy" (less chance of judgement)
Cons:
-monis and rubber toys aren't as discreet
a calming stim! very soothing, good for relieving stress and anxiety. i like to roll my moni moni animal between my hands a lot!
Weighted
weighted blankets
weighted lap pads
weighted stuffed animals
Pros:
-fantastic sensory input
-good for insomnia
Cons:
-harder to get
-pricey
-not discreet
i LOVE weighted stuff!!it's a great feeling. super calming and soothing. really good for helping you sleep!!
Plushies
stuffed animals/plush toys
Pros:
-very easy to get
-varying prices
Cons:
-not discreet
-seen as immature and babyish (unfortunately)
plushies!! super important. super good. soft, huggable, lovable things. many people have them as comfort items!! it's so good to hug them and pet the fur
Textures
bristle brushes
spiky toys
fur
many more
Pros:
-wide variety
-there are good textures in a lot of places!
-spike toys are slightly painful and can leave little indents, which is a good alternative to self harm!
Cons:
-spike toys are harder to get
textures!! we all know n love our textures. my favorite is fur!! sometimes i stim by petting my pets! (my hamster is especially good, she's so soft!). textures are everywhere and everyone likes different things! but there's also specific toys/tools that can help! like bristle brushes and spiked things!
Visual
stim jars
glitter containers
fish tanks
online videos/gifs
Pros:
-wide variety
-easy to make
-there are a lot of gifs online
Cons:
-no tactile stimulation
popular!! easily found online, and easily made irl! fun things to watch. i especially love to watch fish tanks!
Slime, Sand, and Orbeez
slime
kinetic sand
moon sand
sandbox
orbeez
jelly/gelatin
Pros:
-really fun
-unique textures
Cons:
-a stay-at-home toy
-needs to be kept in a safe dry space
-harder to get
-messy
-fancy slime is expensive
these things are the most popular in stimboards and videos, because they look so cool!! if you make your own, you can do whatever you want with it! they're all really unique textures and feelings and super fun to play with!
tip: be careful when using borax! it's toxic
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i hope this helps!! feel free to add on if you have anything!