A student enters the classroom, ready for learning, only to be met with something completely unexpected. On their classmates’ desks, they observe a variety of squishy, colorful cubes. Some students have them in hand, fidgeting away. These NeeDohs are South Windsor High School’s newest fad, but what has caused them to surge in popularity?
NeeDohs are a line of squishy fidget toys that have existed since 2018, but they have become much more prevalent in early 2026. This is majorly due to videos on short-form video platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels promoting the small toys. In these videos, people typically show off their NeeDoh collections and play with them through squishing and stretching.
Of the NeeDoh toy brand, the most common ones seen at South Windsor High School are the NeeDoh Nice Cubes. These toys are squish cubes that come in several different sizes, and they are described on the brand’s website as a stress-relief toy, a focus aid, and a sensory tool, all of which allow the user to fidget and relieve tension.
When asked why they were using the NeeDohs, freshman Vanessa Primavera and sophomore Zaina Ali provided two different perspectives.
“I use them because it is calming, and it helps me focus,” Primavera told The Prowl.
“I saw [the NeeDohs] on Tiktok, and I really wanted them,” Ali said.
Whether their popularity emerges from wanting to reduce stress or just a desire to hop on the latest trend, students at South Windsor High School continue to be enamored with the products. They have become a staple in almost every classroom around the school as students play with them and pass them around the class for their friends to enjoy them too.
Although these squishy playthings are virtually harmless, there are some issues that have arisen from the popularity of NeeDohs spreading across the country. Unfortunately, the reality is that there is not enough supply to satisfy the ever-growing demand. As a result of this, it has become quite common to see them out of stock online and in stores.
These innocuous toys can also be a possible germ risk as they can be easily passed around a classroom in a matter of minutes, touching quite a large amount of hands.
Despite these seemingly trivial concerns, the NeeDoh craze remains, for the time being, insatiable. Only time will tell if NeeDohs remain a highlight of South Windsor’s learning spaces, or if it, like many fads before it, become a figment of the past.
