In the past couple of weeks you may have come across stories about a brand new set of gadgets called Fidget Widgets. These gadgets are one of the most popular trends on the market and can't seem to stay on the shelves. Their popularity has now spread to the classroom where many educators are starting to welcome it with open arms.

Trying to keep kids focused in the classroom is often a daunting task for educators. However, some educators found that pairing these toys with certain rules when it comes to the use of them, could yield promising results. The toys are being seen as ways to help relieve stress and laser-in on focus.

"The kids are just using them in school to help them focus and anything to help kids get better grades I think people want" said Mandy Meyer, a housewares manager at Paul's in Iowa City, according to KCRG. "When I told them about it they were like oh this is so awesome and they've just been trading them in school" said Meyer.

If you're someone who constantly chewed on your pencil or spun quarters on your desk, these gadgets were created to help curb those habits. It also takes away from those distracting, addictive games on your phone that you don't want to put down until you have beaten it.

"Previous research has shown that minor distractions can help boost productivity by giving the mind a break, making it easier to pay attention to the task upon returning to it," according to The Atlantic. 

"But a key thing that separates a fidget widget from other distractions is that it’s used 'for the enjoyment of the experience itself,' not to achieve any particular goal. So by that logic, playing an iPhone game to take a break from work wouldn’t provide the same experience as squeezing a stress ball or twirling a pen."

It's a tiny stroke of genius that is becoming widely accepted in classrooms. Only time will tell whether this is a craze or a fixture in the classroom.

Article By Navindra Persaud, Education World Contributor.