Hey! I haven't seen them mentioned on here (and on tumblr in a while) but I-Spy bags are a great stim. (Not IPSY the make up but I SPY) There isn't a mass market for them (so you won't find them in physical stores) but if you look them up on etsy its like a moosh but with a clear plastic window and plastic pellets inside. There are tiny trinkets to find inside and usually come with a list. I have a custom made one with a zipper so I can add new stuff.
I know these things - or at least, I know a variation on them. The waiting room at my very first psychologist’s office had a clear plastic tube filled with coloured beads and little plastic objects, and there was a card attached to the tube telling you the things to look for. It was like a Where’s Wally book in 3D form.
But a bag or pouch is going to be much more portable (these tubes were quite big, and I never used them because they were too big and heavy for me to hold for any length of time) and easier to use, so I actually think this is a much better approach!
I did a search on Etsy, but I needs must warn you: the very first listing shows a picture of a puzzle-piece-patterned bag. Prices range from $10-30 AUD depending on the bag.
A few exceptionally cute bags: blue owl ($16.81 AUD) | aqua and purple owl ($21.01 AUD) | dinosaur ($16.81 AUD) | leaf and strawberry ($21.01 AUD) | turtle ($14.01 AUD) | frog ($21.01 AUD).
I bet, too, that these wouldn’t be too hard to make: sturdy fabric or double-layered quilting cottons/flannelette, beads and buttons for the trinkets, poly pellets, clear plastic vinyl (the sort used for tablecloths might work). You could use minky cloth for the backing or, if you’re the sort of annoying person who likes to combine as many toys as possible in the one toy (me), even sew in a marble maze as the back…
(Well, I know what my next stimmy craft project is going to be, since I have everything but clear vinyl already.)
Thank you so much, @quirky-chowder! Not only does this look like a great toy to stim with, it looks like a great toy to try and make…
- Mod K.A.
