Send a request
Tell us who you are, how many fidgets you need, and which ones you would like. It takes a couple of minutes.
See what we printAbout
About The Tinker Project
We are a nonprofit that 3D-prints fidgets and gives them free to schools and shelters. Here is how it started and how it works.
Our story
3D printing has been a long-time passion of ours. We love designing and printing all kinds of models, and we’re constantly researching the latest materials, CAD tools, and 3D printing technology.
We started by giving fidgets to family friends with young children. The kids loved the toys and kept requesting new designs, and parents liked them too because they kept the kids entertained.
This past summer, our older sister interned at a program for children with learning differences such as autism and ADHD. She asked us to make fidgets for the kids she worked with, and they were a huge hit. The teachers also mentioned they were having a hard time finding affordable fidgets for their students.
That’s how The Tinker Project came to be. We partner with CAD designers who generously let us use their 3D models, which we then print into fidgets and give away to schools and organizations that support children with learning differences. Our goal is simple: to give educators and caretakers helpful tools for their classrooms, and to make a difference in kids’ lives, one fidget at a time.
Our mission
To put a good fidget in the hands of every kid who needs one, at no cost to their teacher, their school, or their family.
How it works
Getting fidgets to your classroom
Three steps, and the first one is yours. It is free, and there is nothing to sign.
We confirm the details
We usually reply within 72 hours to sort out quantities and work out the best way to get them to you.
They arrive
If you are in the Bay Area, we drop them off ourselves. Anywhere else in the US, we ship them. We are not set up to send fidgets outside the US.
Who we give to
Schools and shelters
We work with teachers, school counselors, and staff at shelters and youth programs. If kids in your care would use fidgets and the budget is not there, that is exactly who this is for.
You do not need to be a certain size, run a formal program, or fill in anything beyond the request form. There is no cost at any point.
If this sounds like your classroom
We would rather the fidgets were in kids’ hands than on our shelf. Tell us what you need.