Parents are warning travellers about viral squishy toys known as NeeDohs that are causing chaos at airport security this summer. The stress relief toys, shaped like dumplings and filled with liquid, have been flagged by scanners, leading to delays and bag checks.
Incidents at UK Airports
Emma Barnes, a part-time teacher from Chester, was travelling to Barcelona from Birmingham Airport on May 29 with her ten-year-old twins when their cases were pulled aside by security. She said: “I didn't know it was a thing until it happened to us. We had five or six squishies in total spread across random pockets in our bags. I didn’t think twice, I thought it was just a squishy toy the kids had.”
Security officials searched their bags until they found one of her children’s NeeDoh squishies. Barnes felt extremely embarrassed as the queue behind her grew, saying she was “dying inside” but wanted to share her story as a warning to other families. “I wanted to help warn other parents travelling this summer as everyone’s kids have squishy toys. We could see the airport staff thinking 'this is going to be a bad summer ahead',” she added.
Similar Experiences Reported
Leanne, from Derbyshire, had a similar experience at East Midlands Airport earlier this year. Her seven-year-old daughter put a NeeDoh in a bag without telling her. “Thankfully we were allowed to keep it. I have heard that some airports dispose of them. My little girl is in the special educational needs (SEN) pathway so they help her regulate emotions when she's stressed, so she was so worried it would be taken from her. The security lady said they flag up all the time,” Leanne said. She noted that it had never been flagged until now, adding: “It is becoming a bigger and bigger thing - the scanners aren’t liking them at all.”
Other parents online reported similar issues, with one saying “my son's got taken off him” and another noting that “Play-Doh has the same issue”.
Official Guidance and Concerns
A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said: “Things like squishy toys contain liquid - this includes NeeDohs which use malt syrup. Smaller versions of the toy are under 100mls but larger versions are not. The problem is that as they don't have measurements printed on them security staff have to estimate their size. Our advice is that all but very small squishy toys should be placed in hold baggage.”
Government officials have also raised concerns. Aberdeen City Council in Scotland issued a warning on July 13 about potentially dangerous versions of the squishy toys, with more than 1,000 being seized from local shops in a month. Hillingdon Council trading standards officers seized 500,000 squishy dumpling toys in two months at Heathrow Airport, which were coming into the UK to potentially be sold. Officials fear businesses are selling dangerous counterfeit versions and urge people to check where they are buying the toys from.
Hillingdon Council said: “Heathrow Airport is a gateway for goods entering the UK, and we’re proud to play a leading role in protecting consumers. As part of this work, our Trading Standards officers have been carrying out targeted checks on 'squishy' toys at Heathrow. In the past two months, the council has seized 500,000 squishy toys. Many are similar in design and lack proper labelling and traceability information. The main issue is the absence of clear details of a responsible UK-based business and the correct UKCA or CE safety markings, making it hard to verify compliance and take action.”
Trend of Microwaving Toys Causes Injuries
In addition to airport issues, a trend where children microwave the toys has already caused a number of injuries. The squishy toys contain liquid that can heat up and potentially explode, posing a safety risk. Parents are advised to supervise children and ensure the toys are not subjected to heat sources.
