Another Day, Another Dumb TikTok Trend That Is Injuring Kids

Another day, another TikTok trend that absolutely did not need to exist.

A 9-year-old boy in Illinois was severely burned after attempting a viral TikTok challenge that involves putting a Needoh Cube into the microwave. Yes, the squishy little stress toy that is very much not designed to be heated.

For anyone unfamiliar, a Needoh Cube is a small sensory squeeze toy filled with a thick gel and marketed to kids as a calming fidget. Somewhere along the way, TikTok decided this meant it belonged in a microwave.

According to the boy’s mother, the cube exploded while heating, sending scalding gel onto her son’s face. The substance stuck to his skin, causing serious burns that required medical treatment.

Doctors reportedly warned that the gel retains heat and can cling to skin, making burns worse and harder to treat once it bursts.

The videos circulating online show kids microwaving the cubes until they swell and rupture, often laughing as the toys burst open. What those videos don’t show is the very real risk of injury when superheated gel meets bare skin.