WOODBURY- NHS students returned to the classroom from winter break wees ago, but a new trend has returned with them–and stayed with them. Over winter break, a popular stress toy called the Nee-doh emerged on social media, and the squishy fidget is appearing more in the classroom.

The Nee-doh has had an internet presence since 2024, with popular websites listing it at the top for best gifts for teens.

After the advent calendar launched in stores this year, it reached millions of views online, and the trendy toy became a sensory must-have for many high school students.

Nonnewaug students have felt the impact of the craze, and teachers are calling it the “modern fidget spinner.”  But why are students so obsessed with this new fidget?

“It’s a trend that happens every few years, a lot of teenagers follow stuff that happens online,” NHS senior Mum Alam says. “Just like slime in 2015, fidget spinners in 2016, hydroflasks in 2019, nee-dohs are following the same thing where they’re popular because people think they’re really cool.”

A study from the National Library of Medicine shows that fidgets are actually beneficial in the classroom. Fidget toys are helpful for people with ADHD and the study found that “students who used fidget aids were better able to ignore distractions, they were off task less frequently, and were less disruptive than if they did not have them.” 

With a market price of an accessible $4-$15, these new hands-on activity are everywhere on campus. Their value isn’t just something students can feel, but rather, their value comes in keeping students focused.

“It gives me something to do with my hands,” NHS senior Addison Neilson says. “It helps me focus better so I’m not distracted by other things”

While nee-dohs grew in popularity over the past 2 years, they are not the first fidget to become extremely popular among high school students. Fidget spinners took the internet by storm in 2017, which hard-launched the era of fidgets.