Bombarded with calls from college students waiting to get their hands on the viral fidget, local eclectic shop Little Luxuries is trying to supply enough NeeDohs to support the growing demand in Madison.
“We received 800 of the tiny [NeeDohs] on Thursday, and we were sold out the following Friday,” Rachel Brightman, a Little Luxuries store associate, said about the new trend.
Fidget toys have long taken the grip of Gen Z. In 2017, the fidget spinner craze took over the lives of high schoolers. Marketed as a stress relief product, fidget spinners were used in classrooms as an engagement assistance tool. But their popularity quickly dwindled, and by early 2018, fidget toy talk died down.
But the 2010’s fad is now taking a new form — this time as a squishy silicone cube. Today, college students have circled back to their high school fidget toys trend. NeeDohs are popping up across campus and are infiltrating TikTok For You pages as influencers rave about the stretchy dough toys.
Launched by toy brand Schylling in 2010, NeeDohs were created to relieve stress and anxiety, while also promoting mindfulness.
University of Wisconsin-Madison junior Jasmine Meinholz has been using NeeDohs for four years, saying she’s always loved having something to fidget with.
Similar to stress balls, NeeDoh’s can relieve anxiety. Meinholz said she doesn’t notice her NeeDoh having a major impact on her mental health, but she does think it helps calm her stress.
“It can help maintain my focus during homework, specifically reading,” Meinholz said. She was first exposed to NeeDohs at a toy mart in Tennessee.
NeeDohs aren’t just for stress relief. Studies showed fidget toys increased attention for students with ADHD and could be used as a tool to assist with their learning.
UW-Madison sophomore Emma Brooks said she first saw NeeDohs on social media. Brooks previously used stress balls in the past but recently purchased a small purple NeeDoh two weeks ago.
“It gives my hands something to do when I’m reading or working on an assignment,” Brooks said. “It helps me focus.”
Brooks purchased her NeeDoh at a small business in the heart of downtown Madison. Advertising “eclectic gifts” and “trendy accessories,” Little Luxuries has been in business for over 30 years.
The small shop near the Capitol sells these fidget toys in spades. Meinholz said she gets a majority of her NeeDohs from the shop.
The store sells a minimum of 40 NeeDohs each day to a customer base of college students, adults and children. Another Little Luxuries associate said they receive daily calls asking if the store has NeeDohs in stock.
“We initially had another type of NeeDoh, which was squishier. [And we’ve only had] the firmer squishes since March last year,” Brightman said.
Similar to the feeling of slime, Needohs come in different colors, shapes, sizes and textures, but NeeDohs are a mess-free fidget that are easily transported and can be used anywhere.
When Little Luxuries bought them in March, they sold out of all 48 on the shelf within a day. Store associates were told they would have to order around 700 a week to keep up with the demand.
Brightman said they can’t always keep up their supply because the store is a small business, but they recently made a $10,000 purchase on top of the $5,000 purchase they made last week.
While many students rave about the benefits of NeeDohs, UW-Madison sophomore Ashley Bryfczynski said having one in her hands distracts her.
“I feel like I focus on playing with it, instead [of using it as a study tool]. That’s why I don’t have one,” Bryfczynski said.
Whether the popularity of the cube squishies is justified, college students in Madison are still very much enamoured with the fidget. Academic and mental health benefits aside, NeeDohs fever isn’t ending any time soon.
