If there’s one toy craze that has defined 2026, it’s the popularity of squishy toys like NeeDoh. (They’re so popular that NeeDoh scams have popped up online, along with plenty of counterfeit links.) Maybe it’s because they want to have physical experiences in a digital world, or maybe it’s just because they like the colors and textures and can trade them with friends, but kids just can’t seem to get enough of squishing, stretching, and squashing these blobby collectibles.
So for those who really want to get on a kid’s good side this year, there’s good news: NeeDoh has offered not one but two different advent/countdown calendars this year.
The bad news: They are both nearly impossible to find online. Resellers are jacking up the prices, fake and counterfeit links pop up faster than they can be taken down (buyer beware), and even the website for Schylling, the company that makes NeeDoh, has thrown up its hands and stopped selling directly because it can’t keep up with demand. Basically, finding a NeeDoh advent calendar is like winning the lottery—you just have to have the luck to find it in a brick-and-mortar toy store when there happens to be a restock.
So, what’s a NeeDoh fan to do? Luckily, there are other countdown calendars and advent calendars to be found.
The first NeeDoh calendar offered 13 days of “funky frights” for the run-up to Halloween. Behind the baker’s dozen of doors, there are six squishy NeeDoh toys and seven other Halloween-themed treats.
We’re seeing Halloween countdown calendars catch on more and more, so this is a fun way to get in on the trend without increasing the kids’ sugar intake. (Not that there’s anything wrong with candy calendars—they just make kids even that much more impatient for Halloween.) For those who can’t find the squishy calendar, try these instead.
Then, there was the classic holiday advent calendar. Schylling says this calendar features “24 days of groovy surprises, Teenie NeeDoh favorites, and exclusive holiday editions.”
If there’s one thing that’s catapulted NeeDoh to the top of the wish list, it’s the collectibility, so fans were surely excited about the idea that the calendar has some exclusive squishies they can’t get anywhere else.
Even with Christmas still being months away, this is nearly impossible to find online. But for those who want to count down the days until December 25, there are plenty of other ones to choose from that are on sale (and available—at least for now) right now.
And if you do see a NeeDoh advent calendar pop up online, double-check to make sure the site is legit, because there are plenty of people trying to make their websites look like the Schylling website or the official Schylling Amazon storefront (where there are currently no NeeDohs in stock). Check the user reviews before adding it to your cart. But for those who are lucky enough to score one—happy squishing!
