Fidget Chicks is a group of folks from Granbury, Texas, who get together to make "fidget mats" for people who would benefit from them. Fidget mats are collections of engaging sensory items securely affixed to placemats. The fidget mats are made to provide cognitive interaction and sensory stimulation for people of all ages. For a donation to cover the cost of shipping the mats, the Fidget Chicks will make and donate the mats to people who would use them. In the fall, we received a package of 10 fidget mats for students in the RISE program.
When presented with the fidget mats, the students promptly began to explore the many colorful components of each mat--the zippers, the buttons, the taggies, the toys--that are all safely attached to the mat.
Some fidget mats have themes--puppies, zoo animals, building, etc. They include bright color schemes and a variety of textures of fabrics, stuffed animals, spools, and other items. Students can play with the fidget mats independently, with a friend, or with a caregiver.
The Fidget Chicks are always in need of donations of items to create their fidget mats and money to defray the cost of shipping. Items they need include:
- solid color cloth place mats and drying mats
- large buttons
- zippers
- patches
- tiny beanie babies and stuffed animals
- small dolls
- doll clothes
- baby socks
- baby hats
- flags (4" or smaller)
- ric rac trim and ribbon
- shoe laces
- small crocheted items
- children's blocks and larger Lego-type pieces
- tinker toys
- plastic curlers
- plastic spools
- keychains
- small cloth books
- monetary donations
Scroll through the pictures to see what other clever items are included on the fidget mats.
If you'd like more information about Fidget Chicks, visit https://licross.com/. You can also find the Fidget Chicks on Facebook at "Fidget Chicks."
Our students are happily enjoying the interaction with the fidget mats. We greatly appreciate the donation!
