Walking through the halls of Marist High school right now, students are noticing the usual sounds of school have been joined by something a lot more satisfying. It isn’t the screech of a chair or the loud heavy breathing of someone running to beat the bell; it’s the constant squish coming from the back of the classroom or in the middle of a test. While older trends have faded out, a new sensory obsession has taken over Mount Greenwood. The “fidget” has officially grown, and for Marist students, the NeeDoh-specifically the super doughy, “nice cube” and classic glob versions-has become the ultimate school survival tool.
The trend at Marist didn’t just pop out of nowhere, but it’s definitely taken over every hallway and lunch table. What might have been something you would see in a middle schooler’s hand a few years ago has migrated into the backpacks of RedHawks, becoming a total essential of the 2026 school day. It is now completely normal to see someone pulling out a neon “Nice Cube” during a long lecture or passing around a “Groovy Glob” to friends during a free period. It’s less about playing with a toy and more about having that one specific thing that actually makes sitting through a 45 minute lecture seem a little faster.
“My mom actually bought my first one for me,” says Marist student Abby Parker. “I started to notice that everyone had them, and that’s when I started realizing how fun they were so I just kept buying them”
A huge part of why these are everywhere is the aesthetic. NeeDohs aren’t just plain boring rubber balls; they are a whole mood. Students at Marist are picking their squishes to match their personal style, whether that’s the sleek, clear, and different shapes of the “nice cubes” or the “dream drop” with its swirling glitter and “splash” display base. From neon glows to glitter fills, the specific squish a student carries says a lot about matching your aesthetic than just having something to fidget with.
It’s not just a mental distraction.
“It is more the physical movement for me,” says freshman Yami Macias.
The real reason people can’t put them down is for the sensory experience. In a world where we spend all day touching flat, cold, phone screens the physical feel of a high quality squishy is actually kind of addictive. Marist students have become experts on the different textures, debating whether a new find is “too soft,” “too hard”, or has the perfect “touch.” There is a specific kind of satisfaction in the slow rise return of a classic fidget or the feeling of a gel filled cube that makes a boring math class feel a lot more bearable.
While it’s definitely cool to have the newest fidget, many students at Marist swear these are actually helping them stay calm. The repetitive squishing is almost like a silent version of those satisfying ASMR videos, helping people express their emotions during a big test without making a sound.
On the other hand, there is a different kind of stress involved, which is the genuine heartbreak that happens when a favorite squishy someone could never leave the house without, gets a hole or starts to leak because someone was playing with them too aggressively.
The trend of fidgets is also being driven by what students see online. Social media, especially TikTok, is filled with “SquishTok” creators showing off massive hauls and “ASMR crunch” videos that get millions of views.
“As the fidgets started trending more on TikTok people started to become obsessed and now they are mainly out of stock,” says freshman Maddyn Jose.
These influencers have turned simple shopping trips into “hunts” sending Marist students to the Walgreens on 103rd or nearby Five Belows to find the rarest colors before they sell out. This digital influence has turned a simple habit into a competitive hobby where everyone is looking for the next viral squishy.
For a lot of RedHawks, owning just one NeeDoh just isn’t enough, which leads to the thrill of the collection. Just like people collect LEGOs or Sports cards, the world of fidgets has limited edition seasonal drops and textures that everyone wants to get their hands on. You can often see students passing around or comparing their latest finds in classes. It’s all about the hunt for the newest squish, the one that has all the perfect weight, best color, and the most satisfying feel of all.
As the final bell rings in Marist High school, the quiet squish of the day follows students out to the parking lot and onto the buses. For the community at Marist, these collections are more than just toys; they are a smart escape, a way to handle the stress, and a small stretchy piece of personality in a high speed world.
