Almost anyone who frequents social media has heard of the massively trending Needoh and Dumpling squishes. Both have been around for quite a while, reaching levels of popularity, but never like how they are right now. The hot commodity has caused stores to be completely wiped out of the items and shipments gone within hours of arrival.
The terms “Needoh Hunting” and “Dumpling Hunting” have been commonly used on social media, which means the act of going to multiple stores in search of one with Needohs or Dumplings in stock.
Junior Brooke Lindsay mentioned, “My go-to spot for Needoh and Dumpling hunting is Five Below and Grandpa Joes.”
Needohs are stress-relieving toys that were first created by Schylling Toys in 2010. There are many different types of Needohs, such as the Nice Cube, Nice Berg, Gumdrop, Dream Drop, Fuzz Ball, Cool Cat, Color Changing, Sploot Splat, Snowball, Gumball, Glow in the Dark, Dohnut, Gummy Bear, Nice-Sicle, Nice Cream Cone, Eggs and so much more.
They have a wide-ranging variety of textures, including PVA gel, cornstarch-like powder, and a maltose sugar mixture. Needohs also have mini versions of some of their types, making it easier to carry them around and use them discreetly for stress relief.
Needohs reached their first surge of popularity in 2020 during the TikTok trend, “Fidget Trading.” Many would go to Learning Express at this time, with Needohs being one of the high-demand “fidgets” in search.
In addition, Squishy Buns, more commonly known as Dumplings, are another squishy toy that resembles the food, dumplings. They come in blind boxes, making the color inside a surprise. They also present buyers with the chance of opening a rare, glittering Dumpling.
Dumplings were created in 2021. The four most popular types are the regular Dumplings, the mini Dumplings, the large Dumplings and the Valentine’s Edition Dumpling. The regular, large and Valentine’s Edition Dumplings have a gel-like substance inside, while the mini
Dumplings have Orbeez inside of them. Dumplings rose to popularity only recently, often being found at Five Below.
Sophomore Adeline Griffith stated, “My favorite Needoh is the Shaggy Needoh/the Fuzzball and my favorite type of Dumpling is the tie dye gel one.”
Social media plays a significant role in why people choose to buy these stress toys, all coming down to how TikTok is the starting place of these micro trends. Needohs and Dumplings first started to become popular on social media around late 2025, early 2026. Videos were frequently created of TikTok influencers searching for these stress toys in stores, unboxing them, ranking their favorite types and cutting them open to reveal the texture inside. Social media users even provided ways to fix extra air inside Needohs, coining the term “Needoh Surgery.”
This quickly grabbed the attention of many all around the world, causing people to buy these Needohs and Dumplings and bring them to school to play with. Stores have recently started to put Needohs and Dumplings behind the counters to limit the number sold to prevent theft and bulk purchases. Now, Needohs and Dumplings are seen almost everyday in classrooms and out in public.
Sophomore Noah Jahn, owner of the rare glitter Dumpling, stated, “I think the Needoh and Dumpling trend is going to die down soon since it’s a micro trend, and they always do.”
Needohs come in many fun shapes and colors, ranging from all sizes and textures, fitting anyone’s preferences, making them extremely versatile. Although it’s hard to tell how long this trend will continue, Needohs and Dumplings are surely a hot topic of discussion and a high-demand item.
