Best Squishy Shopkins-Style Toys for Kids (2026)

Hunting for Shopkins squishies? The original tiny squishy grocery characters are mostly retired now — but the thing kids loved about them is alive and well: cute, collectible, squeezable little characters with a surprise inside. This guide rounds up the squishy toys that scratch that exact itch today, from blind-bag squish collectibles to huggable scented plush.

We kept only squishies we'd actually hand a child — every one from a maker with a real track record, sized and safety-rated for the right age, with a genuine reason behind each choice. No cracked-rubber junk, no mystery brands.

🧸 Curating learning toys since 2004 Independent picks · no pay-for-placement

Why Shopkins clicked — and what replaced them

Shopkins worked because they nailed three things at once: they were cute (smiling little food characters), collectible (dozens to find and trade), and squeezable in that small, fidgety way kids can't keep their hands off. When the line wound down, those three needs didn't go anywhere — they just got picked up by other toys.

The surprise-reveal collecting moved to squishy blind bags like Disney Doorables Squish’Alots and Playfoam Pals. The huggable, named-character side got swallowed almost whole by Squishmallows. And the squish-it-yourself crowd now has moldable foam and make-your-own kits. So instead of chasing out-of-print Shopkins on resale sites for silly money, the smarter move is to match what your kid actually loved about them — and that's exactly how this list is sorted below.

Squishy collectibles to chase

The heart of the Shopkins-style craze: cute, named, squeezable characters with a surprise reveal. These are the ones kids want to collect, trade, and line up on a shelf.

Editor’s pick · Squishmallows

Original 12-Inch Danny Dino Plush

If your kid is chasing the squishy-collectible thing, this is where most of them land now — and for good reason. A 12-inch Squishmallow is the rare cute toy that's genuinely huggable: marshmallow-soft, spineless, and dense enough to flop over an arm or get squashed flat without losing its shape. Each one has a name and a backstory printed on the tag, which is the part kids actually care about — they're collecting characters, not stuffies. It's a safer, longer-lived buy than the tiny rubber squishies that crack: this just gets loved. One honest note: the named characters rotate constantly, so the exact one you order may differ from what's pictured by the time it ships.

Builds: comfort & calm · imaginative play · collecting

~$16· See it on Amazon

Best blind-bag surprise · Disney

Doorables Squish’Alots Series 1

The closest thing to the old Shopkins blind-bag thrill, but squishy. Each capsule hides a mystery squeezable Disney character — you don't know who you got until you crack it open, which is exactly the dopamine loop that made Shopkins and their kin so collectible. The squish itself is satisfying and slow-rising, and at around ten dollars it's a perfect little reward, party-favor, or "we'll-see-when-we-get-home" treat. Be warned: like all blind bags, the fun is the gamble, so duplicates happen and the urge to "collect them all" is real.

Builds: fine motor · collecting · surprise & reveal

~$10· See it on Amazon

Best gift-y set · Disney

Doorables Squish’Alots Squish Machine

The upgrade pick for the kid who's obsessed with the squish-collectible craze. The toy machine "dispenses" squishy blind-bag characters with a satisfying mechanism, turning the reveal into a little ritual — load it, work it, see who pops out. It comes with figures to start the collection and looks the part on a shelf, so it reads as a real birthday gift rather than a checkout-aisle grab. It's pricier than a single blind bag, but it's the centerpiece that makes the whole collecting hobby feel like an event.

Builds: fine motor · collecting · pretend play

~$23· See it on Amazon

Squish-and-create kits

Squishy play with a project attached — sculpt the never-dry foam, paint your own characters, or build a pretend sushi counter. Open-ended, low-mess, and quietly good for little hands.

Best squish-and-build · Educational Insights

Playfoam Pals Fantasy Friends 6-Pack

Squish with a payoff: each pod hides a tiny collectible character, and the never-dry foam around it is yours to squash, smear, and re-mold into a fluffy nest or a whole new creature. It scratches the same surprise-reveal itch as a blind bag, then keeps going as open-ended sculpting that genuinely builds hand strength. The foam never dries out and doesn't stick to skin, clothes, or the couch — the rare sensory toy you can hand over without bracing for cleanup. The collectible figures are small, so it's a "3-and-up, not for mouthing babies" toy.

Builds: fine motor · imaginative play · shaping

~$16· See it on Amazon

Best make-your-own · Elmer’s

Squishies DIY Activity Kit

For the kid who'd rather make the squishy than buy it. You paint and assemble four mystery characters, then squeeze the finished slow-rising foam toys — so there's a real craft project on the front end and a fidget toy at the end. It's a great rainy-afternoon kit that rewards following directions and a little patience, and the "what character do I have" reveal keeps it from feeling like homework. Best for ages six and up; younger kids will want a hand with the assembly steps, and it's worth covering the table first.

Builds: following steps · creativity · patience

~$18· See it on Amazon

Best pretend-play squish · Educational Insights

Playfoam Sushi Shop

Squishy foam meets a pretend sushi counter, and it's a sleeper hit. Kids mold the never-dry Playfoam into "rice," "fish," and rolls, then plate up orders — so the squashing and shaping turns into a whole restaurant storyline. It's the kind of open-ended pretend play that quietly builds vocabulary and sequencing, with none of the dried-out crumble of modeling clay. The foam stays soft forever and doesn't stick to anything, which is why these end up in so many classrooms. A genuinely good gift for the four-to-eight crowd.

Builds: imaginative play · fine motor · sequencing

~$13· See it on Amazon

Best value · Educational Insights

Playfoam 8-Pack

The cheapest way into great squishy play, and a stocking-stuffer that never misses. Eight pods of squashy, moldable foam that you can pinch into beads, smush flat, or sculpt into anything — and unlike dough or slime, it never dries out and never sticks to fingers, tables, or carpet. It's the no-mess sensory toy parents and teachers swear by, equally good as a quiet calm-down fidget or open-ended art. At around a dollar a pod, it's the easiest yes on this list.

Builds: fine motor · creativity · focus & fidget

~$8· See it on Amazon

Fidget & calm-down squishies

For the restless kid who needs somewhere to put that energy. Squeeze, stick, and mush — these soothe big feelings and help focus, for just a few dollars.

Best for fidgeters · Crayola

Globbles Squish Toys (16-Count)

Squishy that sticks — and that's the whole appeal. Globbles are tacky little gel balls you can squash flat, roll, or fling at the wall and watch slowly peel back down. They're weirdly mesmerizing, and the kind of quiet hand-fidget that helps a restless kid sit through homework or a car ride. Sixteen in a pack means plenty to share (or hoard), and they're from Crayola, so the material is the usual non-toxic, washable stuff. They do pick up lint and pet hair over time, but a quick rinse brings the stick right back.

Builds: hand strength · focus & fidget · cause & effect

~$20· See it on Amazon

Best squishy plush · ADORA

Ultra-Soft Glow-in-the-Dark Jelly Plush — Strawberry Blush

A scented, glow-in-the-dark squishy that doubles as a bedtime buddy. It's filled with memory foam, so it slowly springs back after every squeeze — endlessly satisfying to mush — and it's faintly fruit-scented in the way kids love and adults barely notice. Charge it under a lamp and it glows softly at lights-out, which makes it a quiet win for the child who needs something to hold while falling asleep. It's machine-friendly enough to survive being dragged everywhere, and the squish-plus-scent-plus-glow combo punches well above its price.

Builds: comfort & calm · sensory soothing · bedtime routine

~$18· See it on Amazon

Soft squishies for the littlest

Squeezable, scented, and sized for toddlers — no small parts, easy to wipe clean, and built to be dragged everywhere.

Best for toddlers · Learning Resources

Tracy the Fidget Triceratops

A squishy dino built for the littlest hands. The chunky silicone spikes squash and spring back, and the whole thing is sized and toughened for toddler grabbing, chewing-adjacent gnawing, and diaper-bag abuse. It's the squish toy I'd actually give an 18-month-old: no small parts to lose, easy to wipe clean, and quietly building the pincer grasp and hand strength that come before everything else. Older squishy-collectors will pass it by, but for a one- or two-year-old it's the right kind of squeezable.

Builds: fine motor · pincer grasp · sensory soothing

~$15· See it on Amazon

Best for little ones · ADORA

Soft & Squishy Cherry Plush — Cherry Picker

A pleasantly squishy, fruit-scented plush that's an easy gift for the youngest fans of all things cute. It's soft and squeezable in the cuddly-pillow way rather than the fidget-toy way, faintly cherry-scented, and rated from age one — so it works as a first lovey or a sweet add-on to a bigger gift. The smiling-fruit design is exactly the food-character cuteness that made Shopkins click with little kids, minus the tiny parts. Simple, soft, and well-made; a safe pick when you're not sure what a toddler already has.

Builds: comfort & calm · sensory soothing · language

~$16· See it on Amazon

A quick word on buying old Shopkins

You'll still find sealed vintage Shopkins squishies and blind baskets floating around on resale marketplaces — sometimes at collector prices that are wildly out of step with what a small squishy is worth. If your child specifically wants the originals, that's a fine nostalgia buy for an older fan or a collector. But for a kid who just loves the squishy-collectible feeling, you'll get more play, better safety testing, and far better value from the current picks in this guide.

How much to spend

Squishies are forgiving on the wallet. Several of the best here are under $15 — the Playfoam 8-Pack, Squish’Alots blind bags, and the Playfoam Sushi Shop all land there and make perfect little rewards or stocking stuffers. The $15–20 sweet spot (Squishmallows, Globbles, the glow plush, the DIY kit) is where most birthday gifts sit. And if you want one centerpiece gift, the Squish Machine at around $23 is the splurge that turns collecting into an event.

Frequently asked questions

Are Shopkins squishy toys still available?

The original Shopkins squishies are largely retired and hard to find new, which is why this guide points to the squishy toys kids gravitate to now. If your child loved the cute, collectible, squeeze-and-reveal feel of Shopkins, the closest in-spirit picks are the squishy blind-bag collectibles — Disney Doorables Squish’Alots and Educational Insights Playfoam Pals — plus the now-ubiquitous Squishmallows for huggable, named characters.

What is the most Shopkins-like squishy toy you can buy today?

For the surprise-reveal collecting that defined Shopkins, the Disney Doorables Squish’Alots blind bags (and the Squish Machine that dispenses them) are the closest match — small, cute, squeezable characters you collect one mystery at a time. For the food-character cuteness specifically, the ADORA scented fruit plush hit the same note. For sheer huggable collecting, Squishmallows have effectively taken over that throne.

What age are squishy toys best for?

It depends on the type. Soft squishy plush and chunky silicone fidgets (like Tracy the Triceratops) are great from around 18 months. Squashy moldable foam (Playfoam) and squishy blind-bag collectibles are rated 3 and up because of small parts. Make-your-own squishy kits like Elmer’s Squishies are best for ages 6 and up, since they involve painting and assembly. Always match the age rating on the box, especially for households with babies who still mouth toys.

Are squishy toys safe and non-toxic?

The picks here come from established makers — Crayola, Educational Insights, Learning Resources, ADORA, Elmer’s — that test to U.S. toy-safety standards, and the moldable foams (Playfoam) are non-toxic and don’t dry out or stick to skin. The main caution is size, not chemistry: blind-bag collectibles and the figures inside Playfoam Pals are small, so keep them away from children under 3 who still put things in their mouths.

Squishy plush or moldable squishy foam — which makes a better gift?

Pick by the kid. A squishy plush (Squishmallows, ADORA) is a comfort object — it gets hugged at bedtime and dragged around for years. Moldable squishy foam (Playfoam, Elmer’s kits) is an activity — it’s sculpting and pretend play that builds hand strength, and it’s lower-cost and lower-stakes. For a collector who wants characters, go plush or blind-bag; for a maker who wants to do something, go foam.

How we choose — and a word on the links

Educational Toys Planet has specialized in learning toys since 2004. We pick independently, only from established makers, then cross-check every candidate against current availability and the major independent award and expert lists. We don't accept payment for placement.

Affiliate disclosure: the product links here are Amazon Associate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — that's what keeps these guides free and updated. Prices change; tap through for Amazon's current figure. Last updated June 2026.

Best Squishy Shopkins-Style Toys for Kids (2026)

Why Shopkins clicked — and what replaced them

Squishy collectibles to chase

Squish-and-create kits

Fidget & calm-down squishies

Soft squishies for the littlest

A quick word on buying old Shopkins

How much to spend

Frequently asked questions

How we choose — and a word on the links

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