Over the past few years, a particular squishy, fidget toy has gained popularity—especially amongst young crowds in classrooms and therapeutic settings. Originally manufactured by the award-winning toy company, Schylling, NeeDohs are a brand of soft, moldable stress balls. NeeDohs have become a trending commodity for children, teens, and adults, each designed with different shapes, colors, and materials to meet everyone’s needs.
NeeDohs originally rose in popularity in the late 2010s along with other popular items such as slime, Fidget Spinners, and Pop Its during this trending period of sensory toys. These well-known items paved the way for interactive toys that aid stress-relief and unwinding. Currently, NeeDohs have returned back into trend as a highly favored fidget toy, even outcompeting formerly viral squishies. Now they’re beloved not only by children but also by teenagers and adults for their durability, range in designs, and textures.
NeeDohs are sold in a variety of colors, shapes, materials, and textures, with the best-selling item being the NeeDoh Ice Cube—a squishy and stretchy, cube-shaped toy with a glassy, ice-like appearance. Due to the diverse array of their products, different NeeDohs are often collected by many consumers. This contributes to the compelling trend of the products on both social media and amongst consumer peers. Since the late 2010s, NeeDohs have made a quick comeback due to their widespread popularity on the social media app, TikTok. The satisfying texture and wide range of engaging designs have made it interesting for viewers to tune in to videos showcasing NeeDohs. In addition, the different product designs that range in texture and material increase the collectibility appeal, making consumers more likely to purchase multiple versions of NeeDohs to expand their collection.
In addition to becoming a large trend on social media, NeeDohs have provided students with beneficial stress-relief in the classroom. The small but squeezable nature of NeeDohs allows students to decompress built-up stress without disrupting other students. They’re a useful tool in schools that give students a method to manage their anxiety as well as focus during lectures.
Overall, NeeDohs have risen through the years on social media platforms such as TikTok, having positive effects on students’ stress management. They have a wide range of products with different colors, materials, and textures making them appealing to collect. Their durability and satisfying interactiveness make it stand out in comparison to past fidget toys, demonstrating how NeeDohs have come a long way to becoming a favored product.