The Squishy Maker That Kept Our Kids Busy All Afternoon
A squishy maker lets kids design and make their own squishies at home. Here’s how ours held up, the age limit that matters, and what to check before buying.
TL;DR
The Squishy Maker To Keep Them Busy All Afternoon
What Is a Squishy Maker and How Does It Work?
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A squishy maker is worth it if you are looking for a rainy-afternoon activity that produces something at the end, rather than one more craft that gets thrown away. Kids design, fill, and shape their own squishies, and the result is a toy they made instead of one you bought. Ours has burned through several long afternoons, with one age caution worth reading before you hand it to a younger sibling.
What It Is (And Why You Need It)
The squishy maker is a kit containing the materials and tools kids use to design and produce their own squishy toys. The appeal is authorship. A store-bought squishy is a thing you have. A homemade one is a thing you made. The process is where the time goes. Choosing the design, working the material, and waiting for the result stretches across an afternoon, and the waiting is part of what holds attention instead of breaking it. The finished squishies are, honestly, not as polished as manufactured ones. Kids do not care. In our house the homemade ones outlasted several store-bought squishies that were objectively nicer.
Why We Love it
- Kids run it start to finish with almost no adult involvement after setup
- The finished squishy is a keepsake, so the afternoon leaves something behind
- Multiple designs in one kit, so it does not end after the first go
- Screen-free without needing a whole craft supply cabinet
- Works as a solo activity or a two-kid project
- Cheap enough to give as a birthday gift on its own
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Kids own the whole process from design to finished toy
- Produces something they keep, unlike most craft afternoons
- Screen-free and genuinely absorbing for the right age
- No craft cabinet required, everything is in the box
- Inexpensive as a standalone gift
Cons
- Non-refillable kits are a one-time activity at a recurring price
- Homemade results are noticeably rougher than manufactured squishies
- Younger kids need an adult at the table the whole time
Bonus Tips… What you didn’t see in the reel 👀
- Do it on a covered surface. We use a cut piece from our plastic tablecloth roll, and it turns cleanup into rolling the mess up and throwing it away.
- Read the yield before you promise a second one. Telling a kid there is enough for three and finding out there is enough for two is a specific kind of afternoon.
- Set a timer for the waiting stage. The pause between making and finishing is where kids drift off and lose interest in the result they were excited about.
- Do it during nap if there is a toddler in the house. That is the simplest way to handle the small parts problem without policing the table the whole time.
- Keep the packaging until you know whether refills exist. Some kits list a restock option only on the box insert, and it is worth knowing before the kit is empty.
Where To Get it
The squishy maker kit is available on Amazon with Prime shipping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Realistically six and up, meaning kids who can follow multi-step instructions on their own. Younger children can join in but will need an adult at the table for the whole activity.
No. These kits contain small parts, and CPSC data attributes most toy-related child deaths to choking or asphyxiation involving small parts, balls, or balloons. Keep the activity away from children under three.
It varies widely, and this is the spec worth checking before buying. Some kits make three and are finished in under an hour, while others include enough material for several sessions.
Some kits offer restockable materials and some use proprietary components you cannot buy separately. Check before you buy if you want more than one afternoon out of it.
Not in finish quality. They come out rougher than manufactured squishies, though in our experience kids value the ones they made more than the ones they were given.
If you have been on the fence, this one is worth it for elementary-age kids on a long afternoon, especially if you are tired of crafts that end up in the trash by dinner. Just check the age grading against the youngest child who will be in the room, not the oldest one doing the project. Grab a kit before the next rainy weekend.
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By Cassie & Ali – Bargain-hunting sisters and moms helping 500,000+ families save money since 2019.
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