A 13-year-old West Virginia girl was burned this week when a gel-filled "squishy" toy left inside a hot car burst after she squeezed it, according to her mother. Kim Staggs told local station KDKA that she rushed her daughter Natalee to a nearby emergency room, where staff flushed off the sticky silicone with saline and started treatment. By the next day, nurses said the burns were healing and that any scarring did not appear to be serious.
Staggs later shared a warning post that has been widely circulated, and she told local reporters the Poison Control Center had already taken "about a half dozen" calls in the area about similar incidents. As reported by CBS Pittsburgh, she described the gel that hit her daughter as "like a hot taffy" and urged parents to double-check cars for gel-filled toys and teach kids to remove them before temperatures climb.
How Heat And A Viral ‘Hack’ Turn Squishies Dangerous
Doctors say the risk is not limited to parked cars. A viral trend of heating squishy sensory toys, often in microwaves, can cause pressure to build up inside the sealed toys until they explode and spray boiling gel. Hospitals in both the United States and the United Kingdom have treated multiple children with serious burns linked to the trend, including a Chicago-area 9-year-old who was transferred to Loyola's burn center.
Sky News has reported cases where the hot, gluey contents stuck to skin, prolonging the damage and, in some instances, leading to skin grafts.
Calls For Scrutiny And Stronger Warnings
Consumer Reports has urged the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to investigate gel-filled sensory toys after reviewing SaferProducts.gov complaints that described chemical burns and leaks. In a March 2025 letter, the group laid out cases of children who were treated after toys ruptured during ordinary play or following heating and asked federal officials to review how these products are made and tested.
Consumer Reports said manufacturers and regulators should take the burn reports seriously while the agency evaluates the evidence.
What Parents Should Know And Do
Health experts advise throwing away any squishy toy that is cracked, damaged, or leaking, never microwaving these toys, and keeping them out of hot vehicles and direct sunlight. If a child is burned, they recommend cooling the area under running cool, not icy, water for 10 to 20 minutes, skipping home remedies like butter or toothpaste, and seeking medical care for burns on the face, hands, or large areas of the body.
The Mayo Clinic's first aid guidance for burns walks through how to cool and cover a burn and when it is an emergency. Mayo Clinic notes that major burns or any burns involving the face, hands, or airway require immediate medical attention.
