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A squishy is a type of soft toy made of a specially formulated soft
What’s the Next Fidget Spinner?
. Article on the ''New York Magazinewebsite ''The Strategist'', dated 2017-08-24. Accessed on 2020-01-13. and have huge presence on social media (especially
Adults’ obsession with weird, squishy stuffed animals reveals a heartbreaking need in our psyche
. Blogpost on th
Quartz website
dated 2017-10-03. Accessed on 20120-01-13. In addition to relieving stress, squishies can also enhance focus and help regulate emotions by serving as a pleasant distraction. This makes it very useful for those who have anxiety or ADHD.
A squishy is a type of soft toy made of a specially formulated soft polyurethane foam
Polyurethane foam is a solid polymeric foam based on polyurethane chemistry. As a specialist synthetic fibre, synthetic material with highly diverse applications, polyurethane foams are primarily used for thermal insulation and as a cushioning mat ...
, that slowly returns to its original shape after being squeezed. Squishies are manufactured into many different shapes and sizes, such as animals, fruits, and food items. They are often scented to match the object represented. The toy is also called kawaii squishy, ''kawaii'' meaning "cute" in Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
.
Originating in Japan, squishies became available in the US in the spring of 2017. In the following years, the toys become popular all over the world, Lauren Schwartzberg (2017):What’s the Next Fidget Spinner?
. Article on the ''New York Magazinewebsite ''The Strategist'', dated 2017-08-24. Accessed on 2020-01-13. and have huge presence on social media (especially
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
and Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
).
Squishies became popular among children and adolescents, but also among adults, for the tactile pleasure that one experiences squishing them — which is said to relieve stress.Annaliese Griffin (2017):Adults’ obsession with weird, squishy stuffed animals reveals a heartbreaking need in our psyche
. Blogpost on th
Quartz website
dated 2017-10-03. Accessed on 20120-01-13. In addition to relieving stress, squishies can also enhance focus and help regulate emotions by serving as a pleasant distraction. This makes it very useful for those who have anxiety or ADHD.
History
Squishies are a recent member of a more general class of mindless manipulation toys, that includesstress ball
A stress ball or hand exercise ball is a malleable toy, usually not more than in diameter. It is squeezed in the hand and manipulated by the fingers, ostensibly to relieve stress and muscle tension or to exercise the muscles of the hand.
Despi ...
s and fidget spinners. The genre may be seen as very old, including for example the 16th century cup-and-ball toy (bilboquet). Non-foamed materials can also be referred to as squishies. This might involve highly plasticized rubber or crosslinked polymers that generate squishy materials. The latter might provide a healthier alternative as it contains no small migratable molecules if prepared properly. The squishiness of the material can be controlled by controlling the crosslink density. Too few crosslinks and the material might remain squashed.
Health issues
The Danish Environmental Protection Agency tested 12 squishies and found that they all release unacceptable levels of harmful substances, such asdimethylformamide
Dimethylformamide, DMF is an organic compound with the chemical formula . Its structure is . Commonly abbreviated as DMF (although this initialism is sometimes used for 2,5-dimethylfuran, dimethylfuran, or dimethyl fumarate), this colourless liqui ...
, leading to their removal from the Danish market and the recommendation that all squishies be discarded and that they can safely be disposed as household waste.
Squishies have also been taken off the market in Norway because of their potential choking hazard and their popularity with small children between ages 6-12.
See also
* Kinetic sand * Flubber (material) *Slime (toy)
Slime is a toy product manufactured by Mattel, sold in a plastic trash can and introduced in February 1976. It consists of a non-toxic viscous, squishy and oozy green or other color material made primarily from guar gum. Different variations o ...
* Silly Putty
Silly Putty is a toy containing silicone polymers that have unusual physical properties. It can flow like a liquid, bounce and can be stretched or broken depending on the amount of physical stress to which it is subjected. It contains viscoelas ...
* Office toy
* Fidget Cube
The Fidget Cube is a fidget toy designed by Matthew and Mark McLachlan, brothers and co-founders of the US design studio Antsy Labs. It has fidget tools on all sides: a toggle switch, gears, a rolling ball (marble), a joystick, a spinning disk, a ...
* Baoding balls
Baoding balls () are metal balls small enough to hold in one hand, used for physical exercise and therapy. They are also known as Chinese exercise balls, Chinese health balls, Chinese meditation balls, and Chinese medicine balls. Baoding balls ar ...
References
{{reflist Plastic toys Novelty items Sensory toys Toy recalls