Plane friendly stim toys

[Mary Anne]

I have lots with liquid in them. They rebound quicker than foam. In some the liquid is in lots of little balls within the squishy. I'm concerned that even if they pass security they might explode in flight or warp in some horrendous way. I thought about taking a stress ball but i have no idea what's inside them.

Off to google “squishy with liquid.” Like I said, all the ones I have bought on eBay are strictly foam and no liquid. You mention the orbeez beads and they have water inside. Some stress balls are made just of rubber, or some elastic co-polymer, and no liquids. There are those stretchy gummy rubber toys in shapes like frogs, and bugs. Not all squeeze toys have liquids, but I would think, if you stick with the most well known squeeze /stress toys (regular balls, for example) that you won’t have any problems.

 

[Lady Penelope]

Off to google “squishy with liquid.” Like I said, all the ones I have bought on eBay are strictly foam and no liquid. You mention the orbeez beads and they have water inside. Some stress balls are made just of rubber, or some elastic co-polymer, and no liquids. There are those stretchy gummy rubber toys in shapes like frogs, and bugs. Not all squeeze toys have liquids, but I would think, if you stick with the most well known squeeze /stress toys (regular balls, for example) that you won’t have any problems.

Thanks for that. I feel better. I think i have stretchy snakes or something that will work. It's a bugger my go to stim toys are so unfriendly! I prefer the feel of squishy liquid and metal spikes but no way will i risk losing those at security. I'll have to start using the ones I'm planning to take on board now.

 

[Mary Anne]

Thanks for that. I feel better. I think i have stretchy snakes or something that will work. It's a bugger my go to stim toys are so unfriendly! I prefer the feel of squishy liquid and metal spikes but no way will i risk losing those at security. I'll have to start using the ones I'm planning to take on board now.

Maybe let yourself go shopping for some new awesome travel-friendly squishies! I did see a whole bunch of liquid filled ones after google searching. I have one mesh covered bead filled ball (the kind that looks like grapes after being squeezed) at home. I just might have to buy or make a liquid filled stress toy. Stress toys are certainly an enourmous vast world of exploration. Mine have to be soft, and make no noise. I cannot stand fidget spinners. Even some of the foam squishies I have feel uncomfortable and weird -I either keep them in a plastic bag, or make a fabric covering out of a sock to change the feel/ texture.

I brought some foam squishies to work this past week. People all looked at me a bit strange when I used them for a few hours at group talk time. Because they did not look like the regular round stress balls, but were in all different large shapes of fruits, and characters, people were not accepting. I shared them, but folks did not enjoy squeezing them.

 

[interaural]

My daughter was given a little tub of play-dough when she 'graduated' from a week-long summer course for kids on the spectrum. She loved it. Sadly, the following week it was confiscated at a UK airport because it fell within their category for possible explosives. She was distraught. It wasn't a good flight.

 

[Progster]

My daughter was given a little tub of play-dough when she 'graduated' from a week-long summer course for kids on the spectrum. She loved it. Sadly, the following week it was confiscated at a UK airport because it fell within their category for possible explosives. She was distraught. It wasn't a good flight.

That's awful!
I hate the idea that they can confiscate, just take people's personal belongings like that. That seems so wrong to me. In any other context that would be stealing and against the law. Though I do see their point about not wanting items that could be used as weapons or explosives on board.

 

[Mary Anne]

My daughter was given a little tub of play-dough when she 'graduated' from a week-long summer course for kids on the spectrum. She loved it. Sadly, the following week it was confiscated at a UK airport because it fell within their category for possible explosives. She was distraught. It wasn't a good flight.

Make her some dough at home! Here are links to many kinds of sensory doughs...some fizz and bobble, and some are “cloud like.” (Some links lead to other links for the purple fizzy dough. I am 62, and use playdoughs for my own sensory needs (no kids).
https://apmedia.leadpages.net/f/16b...nd-summer-activities-for-kids-with-autism.pdf

 

[Mary Anne]

That's awful!
I hate the idea that they can confiscate, just take people's personal belongings like that. That seems so wrong to me. In any other context that would be stealing and against the law. Though I do see their point about not wanting items that could be used as weapons or explosives on board.

Not only do they confiscate personal belongings, but airports (USA) routinely have auctions annually to sell off all the stuff to the public at bargain basement prices! Google “TSA auctions.” You gotta watch this video in the link below. They confiscate wrist watches in Arizona, USA. Go figure. I wear a wrist watch! How is this a danger? (Of course drugs are routinely smuggled in watches- I learned this when I worked in a prison). Outside of drug smuggling, I cannot fathom why a watch would be confiscated. Bomb tool? I dunno.
TSA Holds Public Auction of Confiscated Items

 

[Progster]

Not only do they confiscate personal belongings, but airports (USA) routinely have auctions annually to sell off all the stuff to the public at bargain basement prices! Google “TSA auctions.” You gotta watch this video in the link below. They confiscate wrist watches in Arizona, USA. Go figure. I wear a wrist watch! How is this a danger? (Of course drugs are routinely smuggled in watches- I learned this when I worked in a prison). Outside of drug smuggling, I cannot fathom why a watch would be confiscated. Bomb tool? I dunno.
TSA Holds Public Auction of Confiscated Items

Yes, and some of these items are valuable or have sentimental value! I wonder what they do with the money they make off them?
And also, how do they expect people to claim the items when they have left the country? Do they think that people are going to come back just to claim whatever item they lost? Though I suppose, in some cases, they might be able to arrange to have someone pick them up for them, or they might pick them up if they were on a trip and returning to the same airport.

I once had a pocket knife confiscated, but I didn't lose it - they put it in a special bag and put that in the cargo hold, I was able to retrieve it at the end of the flight. This is what they should do IMO.

 

[Katleya]

I'm positive that the putty would not get through security if you were flying from Europe, and I can't vouch for Australia, but my understanding is that the rules are pretty strict as well. The liquid restriction technically applies to any liquid, paste and gel-like substances, because the density of many thick pastes is similar to that of explosives when viewed from a tomograph (looking at you, Nutella jars). So I wouldn't risk it; however, it might be worth looking in the duty free shops past the security checkpoints if you are able to find any reasonably priced putty that you like. That would be one way of getting around the limitation.
Metal rings with spikes, not a chance either.

I can't really think of metal objects that could help you because I don't use stim toys made of metal, but a rule of thumb is to avoid any object that could become a weapon with "minimal" modifications needed. And this is how back when I worked at the airport I was once made the custodian of a Penny skateboard that had been rejected by security because, apparently, you can slam it into people's head. It's been 4 years and I still have it, although I doubt the passenger it belonged to will claim it now.

That being said, exceptions apply for anything that you can show a prescription for, so perhaps there's something to be done there. Also applies to liquid foods, for anyone who relies on doctor-prescribed protein drinks, by the way.

At any rate, I hope you have a nice and uneventful flight

 

[Mattymatt]

I'm worried that if I take some of my stim toys on international flight in on board cabin they will be confiscated at security. I have no evidence they will and have googled for possible restrictions. But does anyone know of any restrictions placed on stim toys by airlines?

Is putty a no-go? Is it classified as flammable?

The metal rings with spikes? Is this going to be confiscated as a weapon or can it pass as jewellery?

Will squishy toys that have liquid in them explode in flight under cabin pressure? Do they count as liquid?

Am I being ridiculous? Overthinking this?

Am I safe to pack the stim toys I want without fear they will be confiscated at security and cause a mini meltdown, the exact thing they are designed to avoid?

Anyone had any experience of stim toys being confiscated?

Travelling from Australia to Europe btw.

I think you should invest in a fidget spinner. Those are pretty harmless stim toys that even non-autistics use so you would be less likely to draw unwanted attention to yourself.

 

[Mary Anne]

I think you should invest in a fidget spinner. Those are pretty harmless stim toys that even non-autistics use so you would be less likely to draw unwanted attention to yourself.

A plastic one! For airport security. Metal ones could be used as destructive tool when banging, hitting, or hurling.

I absolutely hate spinners myself. When others use them near me they upset my own sensory disorders. Pure torture if someone in the plane next to me uses one. Which is why I carry ear plugs and thick eye masks.

Repeat rapid movements within my sight annoy me. Also, kinetic toys do nothing for my own anxiety soothing needs. I need soft squeeze toys made of rubber, foam, cloth, etc.

 

[Mattymatt]

A plastic one! For airport security. Metal ones could be used as destructive tool when banging, hitting, or hurling.

I absolutely hate spinners myself. When others use them near me they upset my own sensory disorders. Pure torture if someone in the plane next to me uses one. Which is why I carry ear plugs and thick eye masks.

Repeat rapid movements within my sight annoy me. Also, kinetic toys do nothing for my own anxiety soothing needs. I need soft squeeze toys made of rubber, foam, cloth, etc.

I hear you! They personally annoy the living daylights out of me as well. It was just something that popped into my head that would be, well relatively, harmless.

 

[Lady Penelope]

I think you should invest in a fidget spinner. Those are pretty harmless stim toys that even non-autistics use so you would be less likely to draw unwanted attention to yourself.

I do have a plastic one but i don't seem to get the same satisfaction using them as everyone else does... might be cos NTs can use them so it's not specific enough for me!

I hear you! They personally annoy the living daylights out of me as well. It was just something that popped into my head that would be, well relatively, harmless.

I thought about it cos i have one but decided to take the cube instead. More variety.

 

[Lady Penelope]

UPDATE

So in case anyone was interested... these are the toys I took in my hand luggage.
The silly putty I put in my zip lock liquids bag just in case.
Nothing was questioned by security.
I travelled from Australia to Rome with stop overs in Japan and Helsinki.
Fingers crossed I

have no return issues!

 

[Tom]

 

[Marshmallow_Dust]

I always brought a klixx or a tangle relax therapy to play with when flying. They go through security just fine

 

[Michael Balog]

I flew in April this year and my fidget cube and bike chain spinner went in my carry on and thru security just fine.