The horrifying burn injuries associated with squishy toys are caused by a dangerous viral social media trend where children microwave gel-filled fidget toys—such as the popular NeeDoh Nice Cube—to make them softer or more pliable. When these toys are heated, the thick, viscous gel or maltose inside rapidly boils and builds up immense pressure. When a child removes the toy and squeezes it, it explodes, spraying molten, boiling goo onto their hands, face, and chest.
Charlotte, 42, from Hartcliffe in Bristol, said her daughter Bella, 10, could be scarred for life after she copied the trend and sustained serious facial injuries.
Schools leaders and parents need to be made aware of the trend, which is being shared on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, Charlotte added.
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A TikTok spokesperson said any content that promotes dangerous behaviour that may lead to serious injury is a violation of the company’s community guidelines and will be removed.
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents policy officer, Rhiain Reynolds, said “misuse of household appliances can have devastating consequences”.
“RoSPA urges parents and carers to talk to children about the dangers of copying online trends and to reinforce that microwaves are not toys,” she said.
Her dad admitted he was busy watching the FIFA World Cup when the incident unfolded, and had told her heating the toy up would make it more malleable. He said: “It was Sunday morning and I think Brazil were playing, and I felt a little bit guilty actually because I had made the comment that if it (the squishy) was heated up it might be a bit softer – but not thinking that Violet would put it in the microwave.”
He called for an ambulance while his wife ran his daughter’s head under a tap to try and quell the burns and to soothe her pain.
He said he called paramedics while his wife tried to soothe their daughter’s pain by holding her face under cold water. “I was trying to enjoy the soccer,’ he said. “It was Sunday morning and I think Brazil were playing, and I felt a little bit guilty actually because I had made the comment that if it (the squishy) was heated up it might be a bit softer – but not thinking that Violet would put it in the microwave. But Violet isn’t the only child to have suffered from awful burns after popping squishy toys in the microwave, with a slew of children in Australia, the US, and UK all suffering similar burns in similar circumstances. In fact, Violet wasn’t even the first child to be rushed to Gold Coast Hospital University this week after being left with burns from a heated up squishy. Queensland Children’s Hospital burns.
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