Stress Relief Toys : Part 2 : Pre-made

By Anna Hazard

View the Rest of the Series

Part 1 : Do-It-Yourself

Introduction

If crafting up your own version of  a stress relief toy is too time consuming or stress inducing in itself, there are a variety of pre-made versions in a wide range of types and price points. Each type of stress relief or fidget toy comes in varying colors, styles, and shapes, many that can be tailored specifically to a user's preference or that can pull double duty as a lamp, paperweight, or even a source of lunch.
 
While most stress relief toys and small & inconspicuous for easy office, classroom, or other necessarily discrete stress relief, more fancy & wide spread displays are also available.
 
Some of the most currently popular stress relief toys & items include...

Pre-Made

Stress Balls & Squishies

• While there are many various types of squeezable stress relief toys comprised of different materials, the gel or foam variations tend to be more durable than the ones filled with water or powder. Water and powder filled stress balls are also less expensive (often available in $1 stores) and are also easier to make for oneself as shown in our previous Do-It-Yourself article. For seeking further durability, go with a memory foam stress ball for extra squishiness without having to worry about punctures or leaking from a gel or other liquid based version.
• The variety of stress relief toys called "squishies" tend to be made from foam, sponge, or other more sturdy material and are more intricately shaped than normal balls.
• Stress Ball Reviews [1, 2, 3]
• Custom Stress Balls [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
• Gel Stress Balls [1, 2, 3, 4]
  
• Foam Stress Balls [1, 2, 3, 4]
  
• Squishies [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  

Stretchy String & Tangle Sticks

• Stretchy string, tangle sticks, bendeez and other such items are another type of fiddle toy used for stress, anxiety, and related therapies that aim to further sooth & calm by refocusing excess energy into more constructive outlets. These particular stress relief toys have an elongated form that is meant to be flexed and reshaped. They often come in a squishable form similar to stress balls but can also be found as interlinked blocks or other harder materials.
• Stretchy String [1, 2, 3, 4]
  
• Bendeez & Bend Sticks [1, 2, 3, 4]
  
• Tangle Sticks [1, 2, 3, 4]
  

Fidget Spinner

• The fidget & stress relief toy that has taken the popular world by storm recently, these three pronged triangular trinkets are meant to be spun between the fingertips. Besides being another simple source for redirecting stress & excess energy, many advanced tricks can also be learned & shown off.
• Fidget spinners come in many different styles, from simple Do-It-Yourself ones to professional  varieties that can glow-in-the-dark, light up, glimmer in a titanium rainbow, or even act as lip calm. There are unfortunately less well-thought-out & safe versions for sale, so remember to keep in mind that fidget spinner will be spinning fast near or against bare skin and thus any spinners with sharp or pointed parts should be skipped over to help avoid gashes & cuts.
• Fidget Spinners [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  
• Fidget Spinner Reviews [1, 2, 3, 4]
  
• Fidget Spinner Guides [1, 2, 3]
  

Boinks (Mesh & Marble Fidget Toy)

• Another type of fidget toy that has recently become quite popular, various versions of Boinks provide stress relief for kids, adults, and even cats. Boinks, much like stress balls, are rather inexpensive and often come in packs. They can be rolled, reshaped & turned inside out, or compressed down to spring into the air. The generic version of this style of of stress relief toy is "Mesh & Marble Fidget Toy" or a variation thereof.
• Boinks [1, 2, 3]
  
• Mesh & Marble [1, 2, 3, 4]
  
• Guides [1, 2]
  

Mini Zen Gardens

• This stress relief toy takes the form of real miniature sand & rock based gardens (instead of the free virtual online versions mentioned in our previous article) to give a true tactile experience. The raking, rearrangement, and patterning of components in the zen garden is meant to help instill a calming & meditative mood within the user. Many different styles & decorations of zen gardens are available to tickle the fancy, from NSFW posteriors to live air plants to gemtones as well as certain varieties that can pull double duty as pen or candle holders or even act as edible lunches.
• Zen Garden [1, 2, 3, 4]
• Guides [1, 2]
  

Liquid Motion Toys

• This style of stress relief item can range widely from inexpensive desktop doodads to expensive & elaborate indoor installations. Many liquid motion toys use dyes & different viscosities within the liquids to produce their mesmerizing effects. The lava lamp is probably the most well known version of this type.
• As the sound of water falling is often found to be soothing, mini indoor stress fountains are a variation of liquid motion toy that uses real water like their outdoor counterparts. They tend to be more expensive & take up more room than other varieties of liquid motion toys. Many different styles are available including those that claim to be specifically tailored to help with relaxation & calming.
• Liquid Motion Toys [1, 2, 3, 4 ] Guide
• Lava Lamps [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] Lava Lamp Guide [1, 2, 3]
• Glitter Lamps [1, 2, 3]
  
• Mini Indoor & Relaxation Fountains [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] Guide [1, 2]
  

Slime, Fluff, Putty, Sand, Dough

• If you don't feel like whipping up the Do-It-Yourself variety from the first part of this article series, here are a selection of pre-made free form squishable, kneadable, smashable and squeezable options that are ready for your stress related squashing. It's mostly a difference of texture & density that separates the various forms with some varieties available in "therapy grade" for extra durability.
• Slime & Goo [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  
• Fluff & Floam [1, 2, 3, 4]
  
• Putty [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  
• Sand [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] Guides [1, 2]
  
• Dough [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]