Glue can do a lot of things: help create craft projects, fix broken toys and serve as a component in super-cool science projects, among others. While it’s most commonly an essential adhesive aid for other objects, you may not know it can also be used to create your very own squishy toy for imaginative play. Meet Elmer’s Squishies, the DIY activity kit that includes everything you need to make your own tactile toy — an adorable character you can squish, stretch and squeeze, and the shape springs right back to life.
Here’s how it works: Kids ages 6 and older mix up a provided top-secret solution and stir in the (also provided) color and glitter glue pens. Then they carefully pour the mixture into the Mystery Mold and wait 60 minutes for the big reveal. And here’s where things get really fun: Each Mystery Mold is just that, a mystery — so the Squishy inside will be a surprise. With 80 characters in total to collect, creators can stock up on new character kits and refill packs — which come with enough solution to make five more Squishies — as well as trade the toys with friends.
The real magic of Squishies is that kids can get all kinds of creative — using the special glow-in-the-dark Squishies kits to make their figurines illuminate, glitter glue for added sparkle, or color-changing glue for a chameleon-like effect, for example. They can also take their ingenuity online by entering the virtual world of Squishtopia, where the characters come to life in interactive games and activities. Whatever route they take, they’ll beam with pride while playing with figures they made themselves from scratch.
Now, match your kid’s personality with their crafting style by taking our quiz — and see which glue they’ll want for their creative customization:
