5 NeeDoh Alternatives If Your Kid Is Obsessed with the Viral Sensory Toys (but You Can’t Find Them Anywhere)
Step aside, Jellycats, Squishmallows, and Labubus! The newest Gen Alpha obsession is the squeezable, squishable, stretchable sensory toy NeeDoh. The resulting frenzy has parents crowdsourcing the viral toy in Facebook groups and lining up outside stores to take advantage of restocks.
A modern twist on the stress ball, NeeDohs are available in various malleable textures and shapes that are fun for sensory play and can also help calm stress and anxiety. The sensory material-filled NeeDohs have been produced by the Schylling company since 2017, but interest in them began to rise when their 2025 advent calendar went viral.
Influencers continued to share popular ASMR and unboxing videos (as well as ones about the dangerous NeeDoh cube microwaving challenge), resulting in the company selling out of the entire year’s inventory in just nine weeks. While NeeDoh hopes to meet rising demand by the summer, the massive fandom is leading to shortages. (At least one store is choosing to no longer stock the viral toy due to the resulting chaos!)
My daughter received several NeeDohs before they went viral, and we are definitely fans. They are fun, colorful, and durable, and they offer satisfying textures to squeeze and stretch. But our collection of sensory toys also includes squish-ables from other brands.
If you want to opt out of the frenzy (or can’t track one down yourself!), here are five NeeDoh alternatives. Just keep in mind that age recommendations can vary by product (try these for under-3s), and safety hazards can result from freezing, microwaving, or cutting.
