If your kid loves collecting things, don’t worry, it’s normal. Children are collectors by default, and the newest craze that they’ll want to collect are Squishies. Here’s what you need to know about these perfect toys for family day out:

 

For one, the Squishy is a Japanese import, and rather hard to find. We know that most grownups never heard of these, but if your kid has, you’ll need to get them at least one and learn a bit about these toys.

What are Squishies?

These small mascots are soft and bread-like. They come in different shapes, and they look like characters, baked goods or a combo of those two. Usually scented, these toys are the newest iteration of a stress-relief toy. Soft and absolutely kawaii (“cute” in Japanese), these are most commonly shaped like bread or cake. They are usually attached to a lanyard or a smartphone strap.

But, why do kids love them?

Well, for one, they are adorable. However, that’s not all. They are also tactile and fun because kids can squish them again and again since they regain their original shape rather quickly. That’s also where the name came from. Add in the candy-like scent of the squishy, and you’ll understand why kids love it so much.

Where did Squishies come from?

Like a lot of great fads, this one originated in Japan. People in Japan love decorating their phones with fake fruits, gems, and treats. In addition to this, they also love hanging funny or adorable straps on their phones. Phone straps are a hit in Japan, and they have only been growing in popularity recently.

 

When we tried to find out how exactly teens in the US became fascinated with squishies, we narrowed the starting point of the craze down to one place – YouTube. If you enter “squishy” into the YouTube search, you’ll get hundreds of videos about these toys. Kids and adults trade squishies online, show off their collections, and even try to make some DIY home project squishies. If you decide to watch those videos on YouTube, you’ll notice two things really quickly. The first one is that these kids are literally obsessed with squishies. The second one, everyone wants to have as many as possible, and the rarer they are, the better.

Where can you get Squishies?

The offer of these toys is the best in Japan, of course. However, most parents won’t travel all around the globe just to get a 5$ toy. Another great place for finding these toys are China Town or Japan Town (if your city has it) stores. However, the very easiest way to track down some adorable squishies is right here, online.

 

There are several websites that offer a large assortment, and whose shipping is free for orders over a certain value.

 

Congrats, our Squishies 101 tutorial is now over. You now know almost as much about squishies as your kid does. So, when your little one asks you to get them a squishy, you know what to do, where to find it, and just how cute the new toy you’ll be getting your kid is.