Urgent Warning: Never Try This Viral Squishy Toy ‘Hack’ — It Sends Children to Hospital

A social-media “hack” encouraging users to microwave soft, gel-filled squishy toys has prompted an urgent warning from UK burns specialists. Videos claim that heating makes the toys softer, but the process can turn an ordinary sensory product into a pressurised container of extremely hot material.

This is no longer an isolated online experiment. The Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow treated six related cases within eight months, with some injuries requiring surgery, skin grafts and continuing specialist care.