Overview
- In early May 2026, coverage of a 10-year-old in Britain with severe facial burns after a squishy toy exploded renewed calls for parents to stop the TikTok trend.
- Doctors say the gel inside these toys heats and expands faster than the rubbery shell, so pressure builds and the toy can burst when picked up or squeezed.
- Schylling, maker of NeeDoh, warns not to heat, freeze, or microwave its toys and says it has added safety notices to packaging and listings while working with TikTok to remove misuse videos.
- TikTok says videos that promote dangerous behavior violate its rules and are taken down, though hospitals report multiple recent cases linked to microwaved squishies.
- Safety groups urge parents to teach children that microwaves are not toys and to avoid heating these products, citing past cases including a 2025 Missouri incident that put a seven-year-old in an induced coma.