If you walk into any middle school classroom, you are probably going to see students playing with bright colored squishy sensory toys called NeeDohs. The most popular NeeDohs children at school are seen with are the thick, non-toxic, clear maltose-filled ones, including the Nice Cube, Nice Berg, Sploot Splat, Nice Cream Cone, Nice-icle Pop, etc. Maltose is a thick, gooey, and sticky substance used as the filling in some NeeDoh sensory toys.
“The most popular NeeDohs I’ve seen in school is probably the nice cube because I have seen it like ten times from different people each time,” Addison Hilliard (6) said. Back in 2020-2023, NeeDohs and other fidgets were very popular and a big trend. Now, NeeDohs are gaining back the popularity they once had years ago with the help of influencers and students.
“NeeDohs really help my ADHD and help me stay focused in class,” said Penelope Stroupe (6). NeeDohs aren’t just a trend. They also help those with OCD, ADHD, anxiety, etc, but you don’t have to have any of those to have fun with them! Although a lot of teachers are banning them from their classes, many students feel that students should still be allowed to use them in classrooms, but maybe with some rules too.
“I don’t think NeeDohs should be banned. I feel like there should be certain times where we can use them and certain times we can’t,” said Haylee Spilsbury (6).
“My favorite NeeDoh is the NeeDoh Fuzz Ball because I like the texture, and I have every color from that type of NeeDoh,” said Hilliard. Needohs vary in size, color, type, and texture.
“I think one day I had never seen them, never heard of them, and then all of a sudden, they start appearing in my classroom,” said Mrs. Strati, 6th grade ELA and Social Studies teacher.
“I think for NeeDohs in the classroom, it really depends on the student. If the student truly needs them, then I think I would allow it because there are probably some benefits for paying attention for students who need them. I also think they can be a big distraction for students who don’t need them,” said Mrs. Strati.
Sometimes, students having NeeDohs during class aren’t the best way to stay focused in class. But for some people, it actually really helps them to focus, so it just depends on what kind of student you are.
NeeDohs are manufactured by Schylling, an award-winning toy company based in North Andover, MA. The first NeeDoh that was ever created was the NeeDoh groovy glob in 2010, but they are still being used today by all ages. The newest NeeDohs are the NeeDoh Nice Berg, NeeDohDippin’ Dazzler, and the NeeDoh Jelly Squish.
