The origins of fidget toys date back to the late 1990s when a New York mechanical engineer named Scott McCoskery created the first ever fidget toy to help people with ADHD concentrate better. In 1993, Catherine Hettinger designed an early prototype of the fidget spinner, but companies initially rejected her invention. Fidget toys only rose to mainstream popularity recently after a 2017 craze surrounding the fidget spinner.
Fidget toys originally sought to help restless children by providing an outlet for excess energy. Now, they are also recognized for other benefits like stress relief and improved productivity. The toys allow people to channel nervous energy into harmless motions, enabling better focus.
Catherine Hettinger is the key pioneer behind modern fidget toys. In the 1990s, she started creating spinning toys for her daughter, leading her to design a prototype of the fidget spinner. However, companies like Hasbro denied her invention then.
It was not until 2017 that fidget spinners truly took off globally with a flood of creative new designs entering the market. Suddenly, fidget toys shed their clinical image to become a full-blown craze. Their popularity has plateaued now but these toys continue providing real benefits today.