NeeDoh sensory toys have taken over social media and online parent groups.
On TikTok, the #needoh hashtag has appeared in over 247,000 posts and on more than 156,000 Reels on Instagram.
A NeeDoh is a handheld and portable sensory toy that can be stretched and squeezed.
They contain “non-toxic, dough-like compounds,” Schylling President Paul Weingard explained to ABC News.
There are currently over 50 different NeeDoh styles, from the Cool Cats NeeDoh to the NeeDoh Gummy Bear and the NeeDoh Nice Cube. NeeDohs range in price from about $4.99 for a NeeDoh Color Change Squeeze Heart to $19.99 for a NeeDoh Nice Berg.
NeeDoh toys have spiked in popularity both in the U.S. and abroad, and Schylling said they’ve “gone fully viral, without relying on a single moment or trend.”
The package of a NeeDoh Nice Cube, specifically, warns that the toy has small parts, can be a choking hazard for children under 3, should not be heated, frozen or microwaved, and “may cause personal injury.”
Hospitals have reported burn incidents and injuries after users microwaved NeeDoh toys, following social media videos that show users briefly heating NeeDohs in microwaves in order to make them more pliable.
In a statement to ABC News, a Schylling representative said, “Ensuring the safety of our consumers is fundamental for Schylling. We are disappointed to see there has been a trend on social media demonstrating misuse of our NeeDoh products. Misusing a NeeDoh product by microwaving, heating, or freezing is dangerous and could cause injury to the consumer.”
They added, “Schylling has partnered with social media companies such as TikTok to remove influential content containing NeeDoh product misuse. Additionally, Schylling has included a safety warning on NeeDoh packaging and our all e-commerce listings to help combat product misuse.”