What are my favourite stim toys? This is just a quick blog post, but I thought it’d be fun to share some of my favourite stim toys, especially as I’m currently a bit stressed, and am finding stim toys super helpful!

Stim toys are something I’m still learning about and trying out. For many years I’ve kind of downplayed and subconsciously masked my autism, but as I’ve become more confident, I’ve begun using stim toys more! It’s definitely been a learning curve though – a lot of stim toys really don’t work for me. I hate the feel of squidgy, sticky, rubbery things. I like hard, smooth plastic and metal. I like things to be very durable. I also like certain fabrics. Here are some stim toy type things that I like:

– Flexi/articulated toys – I love the clicky sound and the feel of the hard plastic, and how you can buy lots of different ones in different shapes/animals, and colours

– Fabric rags – I often chew on fabric that I like? I don’t know how common this is, but I know chewable necklaces exist!

– Stim spinner rings – I don’t own one of these but borrowed one from a friend once, and loved it! I often pick at my fingers when anxious as a stim, but rotating and playing with a stim ring helps me to not do that

– Tangles – these are a classic, and I find them similar to flexi toys in that they’re  made of hard, durable plastic, come in lots of colours, and you can fiddle with them and move them about 

I also stim by lining things up and arranging things, or counting things again and again. I sometimes repeat words too, and rock back and forth. I will flap my hands or even shake my whole body.