Make room collectibles, the next toy craze is here. Fidget toys or spinners have been blowing up over the past few weeks, and now Hong Kong-based toymaker Zing is bringing its version, called Spinzipz, into the fray.
To meet the demand and capture the trend while it’s still hot, millions of Spinzipz stackable spinners are being air-freighted into Target, Toys “R” Us and Walmart stores later this month. The toys, which feature LED lights and sell for US$7.99 apiece, will also be sold on Amazon.
For now, Spinszipz are available on the company’s website, where three-pack of spinners (US$19.99) are still available, but individuals are already out of stock.
Zing is the company behind Thumb Chucks—two balls on string that twirl around your fingers—and made its move into fidget spinners when it noticed how popular the trend was becoming online. Fidget toys are small pocket-sized playthings intended to keep kids’ hands busy. They are akin to stress balls, allowing children to release pent-up energy. They are also said to be especially helpful for kids with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Digitally speaking, the toys have taken off on YouTube, with one channel dedicated to the trend already amassing 11,000 subscribers and upwards of two million views per video. Google trends are also showing a spike in recent online searches beginning in April for these spinner toy.
While fidget toys are becoming red hot, US teachers are trying to put out the flame, at least in classrooms, where they have been deemed too distracting.