I was buying a pint of milk in my local food store when my children Lola, 10, and Liberty, eight, started chanting “Squishy dumpling! Squishy dumpling!” as we got to the checkout. I had no idea then what a squishy dumpling toy was as they zoomed in on a pile of them near the vapes. Little did I know then that I was entering a new world.
The latest viral trend for kids – the next Labubu – has taken off on TikTok and is promoted online through unboxing videos. The soft, gel-filled and dough-like steamed bun-shaped toys come packaged in a plastic bamboo steamer in a variety of colours – with a rare one that is glitter-filled. Their mega success lies in the winning combo of two internet crazes: blind unboxing toys and squishies.
