Dimethylformamide
Can harm an unborn child. All 12 foam squishies Denmark tested in 2018 gave it off, at up to 73 times the level it considers tolerable for a child.
Not checked:US toy rules: no test
Squishy toys in the Horseshoe Hooray Store
Lab tests abroad keep finding industrial solvents in toys like these. US toy rules don't require a test for them, and no one has told parents whether anyone has tested the store's toys. We think the school will do the right thing once enough of us ask.
4 of 50 signatures
2 parents and 2 children have signed, most recently today
We send the letter to the principal once it has 50 signatures.
Families by grade
- Kindergarten: 2
- 1st grade: 0
- 2nd grade: 0
- 3rd grade: 2
- 4th grade: 0
- 5th grade: 0
What labs found, and what the US checks for
Benzene
Causes leukemia. A squishy dumpling toy recalled in the UK in 2026 held four times the UK's legal limit for toys.
Not checked:US toy rules: no test
Toluene
Suspected of harming an unborn child. Found in Danish tests in 2018 and 2026, and in squishy dumplings Austria judged unsuitable for children in 2026.
Not checked:US toy rules: no test
Phthalates
Interfere with hormones. Up to 164 times Seoul's safety limit in squeeze toys the city tested in 2026.
Checked:US toy rules: a test for certain phthalates
US toy rules also have no test of what a toy gives off into the air. Since November 1, 2026, China requires one for toys sold in China, covering benzene and toluene among others.
The other US toy tests are for hazards such as lead, small parts and flammability. None looks for a solvent.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission enforces these rules. It had 546 staff in 2024 and about 459 in 2026, and in 2025 its inspectors were at 23 of 328 US ports.
What the school and district have told parents
- Not checked:Where the store's toys come from
- Not checked:Whether anyone has tested them
Nothing so far. That is understandable: a toy can be sold in the US without ever being tested for these solvents, so everyone assumes someone else has looked.
A short letter from enough parents should be all it takes.
What the letter asks
Within ten school days, we ask the school to:
- Tell us who buys the store's toys and from which sellers.
- Tell us what lab test reports it holds for each squishy toy, and whether any covers what the toy gives off into the air. If it holds none, say so.
- Remove the foam squishies now, and keep the other squishy toys off the shelf until it holds a lab test report for each.
Add your name
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Your name and anything you add about your children go to the principal with the letter. Your email does not. This page shows only counts, never a name.
Whoever sent you this link sees your name and your children's grades.
The letter in full
Dear Principal Ali,
We are Mann parents and students. The Horseshoe Hooray Store stocks squishy toys: soft toys made to be squeezed in the hand, such as foam squishies, stress balls and gel-filled dumplings.
Denmark's environmental agency tested 12 foam squishies in 2018. All 12 gave off solvents above the level it considers tolerable for a child.
Sweden's chemicals agency tested 21 squishies in 2019 and found that all 21 posed a risk.
Other squishy toys have failed too. In 2026 Austria's health agency judged all 23 squishy dumplings it tested unsuitable for children, the UK recalled one for benzene, Seoul found problems in 5 of 13 squeeze toys, and Cyprus withdrew 2 of 18 from sale.
US toy rules require no test for solvents, so a toy can meet every US standard without having been checked for them.
We ask the school to do three things within ten school days:
- Tell us who buys the store's toys and from which sellers.
- Tell us what lab test reports it holds for each squishy toy, and whether any covers what the toy gives off into the air. If it holds none, say so.
- Remove the foam squishies now, and keep the other squishy toys off the shelf until it holds a lab test report for each.
The school's purchasing records are public, but we would prefer to hear this from you.
The reports
- Analysis and risk assessment of fragrances and other organic substances in squishy toys
- Enforcement of squishies
- Safety information: 'Squishy Dumplings'
- Product recall: Squeezy Dumplings
- Popular 'wakppu' balls, other children's products found to contain hazardous substances
- Squishy toys in Cyprus recalled due to harmful chemicals
Pass it on
Know another Mann parent? Send them this page.