My friend is interested in getting a stim toy that's like a clickable computer mouse wheel. Do you have any recommendations for a toy that is like this?
I can find things that click and things that spin. Things that click down and spin (I assume that’s what’s meant - how you can spin the mouse wheel and press down on it) at once is tougher. I take it that this is meant to be a more-portable version - unlike an old computer mouse (which in and of itself is a perfectly stimmy object and DIY stim toy), it can be taken out of the house and fidgeted with without drawing too much attention or comment.
In my collection of things here, there’s the fidget cube. (I’ve just reblogged a fairly in-depth review here.) The fidget cube doesn’t have a wheel that clicks like a mouse wheel, sadly, but it does spin. It’s not as big as a mouse wheel, though. It does at least click down/press down, but the click down part isn’t the spin part. It might be closest to a computer mouse, though, of all the offerings I have.
The Antsy Labs version is available here. Knock-offs are available on ebay and also come up in my etsy searches for fidget toys. I also refer you to this knock-off fidget shape: it’s twelve-sided! I can’t quite tell from the listing whether or not the roller gears press down, but it does appear to have multiple sides that press in different ways. I’d like to get my hands on one myself one day, because the increased size may make it much easier to handle. It retails for $22.89 AUD with free shipping, so it’ll be cheaper still for USA residents. Cheap (under $5 AUD) imitation fidget cubes with free or very cheap shipping can be found here and here.
(I’ve mentioned my philosophy on knock-offs. In fact, I see little wrong with buying a cheap imitation just to see if it works for you before shelling out for the far more expensive Antsy Labs version to support the creator. Most of us can’t afford $20 USD plus shipping only to discover that a toy doesn’t work for us.)
The Fidget Stick also has a ball that turns, but again, isn’t as big as a mouse wheel.
(Please note: when I go to Fidget Gear’s website, I no longer find a listing for that toy. Nor can I find it on a general Google, Etsy or ebay search. I’ll keep an eye out to see if it surfaces again, but when I queued that post, the listing existed.)
Spinner rings again might fulfill that need to spin but do not have the click aspect. Etsy has some seriously ornate offerings in a general search.
Chain fidgets, too, have spinning options: try Fidget Land’s Ninny ($10 USD and up) which has coloured silicone rollers between the chain links that spin when touched. Likewise the Rizzle (same price).
There’s sundry spinner toys on Etsy - I haven’t seen too many posts here on Tumblr to reblog, but I’ve got a collection of links to make into posts someday when the queue runs dry. These run anywhere from $10 AUD to $60 AUD. A really-nice looking spinner toy is $33.93 AUD; a cheaper toy with fewer spinners is $10.84 AUD and up. These are all flat spinners, but ball spinners exist too: there’s one here with three ball-bearings for $23.31 AUD and up depending on model.
(Please note: I’m searching etsy.com/au and ebay.com.au. Everything I’ve brought up can be found with the search terms “spinner ring”, “fidget spinner” and “fidget cube”.)
An out of the box suggestion is toy cars. They’re not clickable, but the wheels spin and they’re inexpensive/easy to find. It might be something to play with in the meantime before they get their hands on what they want.
Nothing here quite answers the combination of spinning and clicking down in the same part of the same toy in the way a computer mouse does. I’m sorry about that, but my knowledge and my ability to conjure useful search terms has run dry. If anyone has any better options, please, comment away!
ETA: @werevampiwolf says,
You could probably take apart an old mouse or buy mouse parts on ebay
I’d thought of using the whole mouse, as I mentioned above, but I hadn’t considered pulling it apart! Here’s images of the interior of a ball mouse and an optical mouse for anyone willing to give this a shot.
