So Squishy Style Studio-Design Wear and Squish – John Adams Review

DISCLOSURE – THIS ITEM WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE THE REVIEWER’S OWN.

Reviewed by Dottie Rood.

My grandchildren and I had seen So Squishy Style Studio- Squish ‘N’ Style jewellery on television adverts a number of times so we were really excited to be given the opportunity to review it, especially as it was not even Christmas yet!

The box arrived inside another big box so built up the excitement and when we opened it and saw the very decorative box with the Squishy Style Studio-Squish ‘N’ Style jewellery inside the children were besides themselves. However! When we opened it we were all a little bit disappointed at the size of the bag with the ‘bits’ in and the size of the ‘maker station’, it would have fitted in a box half the size. Maybe this is a marketing gimmick?

We emptied the contents out on the table and it had, 1x Rabbit themed Maker Station, 1 x Bead Tube, 1 x Noodle needle, 10 x Character Beads, 16 x Noodles, 8 x Shaped Beads, 4 x Small Beads and an instruction leaflet, so let’s go!
Just a few ‘facts’ etc before I let you know how we got on:

Many of us think that Squishies are a recent ‘fad’ but their roots can be traced back to ancient civilisation. They were originally promoted as ‘stress balls’ and were probably simple balls that would be made from natural materials like clay or animal bladders. By the 20th century we were seeing foam and gel filled stress balls, but it wasn’t until the 2010’s that squishy toys really took off. Squishies originated in Japan and the ones we know today didn’t become available (in the US) until spring 2017. They had, and still have, a huge presence on social media platforms, especially YouTube and Instagram. Japan started the trend as they have a huge desire for ‘collectable’ items, they also have a Kawaii (cute) culture so put the two together and the ‘squishy’ was born. They can feature adorable designs in bright colours and are obviously ‘cute and squishy’ therefore gaining very quickly in popularity, not only in Japan but all over the world!

There is a science behind squishies (polyurethane has a chemical reaction with the polyols and isocyanates which creates tiny bubbles then fill with gas) and psychology behind them (when we squeeze a squishy it engages multiple senses that make us relax and gives us a calming sense of satisfaction) plus a therapeutic benefit ( they have been found to offer various therapeutic values, especially for individuals with anxiety, ADHD, autism or sensory processing disorders often providing a calming, grounding outlet. They have also been found to help improve fine motor skills, hand strength and dexterity and the cute and engaging designs can also help reduce mental health and disabilities therefore promoting acceptance and understanding) and in addition to all that my grandchildren (plus lots of other children I know) do LOVE them, so how did the So Squishy Style Studio- Squish ‘N’ Style Jewellery fare with them all?

All the ‘bumf’ I’ve read about So Squishy Style Studio- Squish ‘N’ Style Jewellery claims you can, “style it, pop it, wear it and squish it as you turn squishy beads and noodles into cute bracelets, rings, bag charms and more.” It also claims you can create 1000’s of ‘Cute Squishy Combinations’. Did it live up to this claim? Yes, I think it did, the children took a little while sorting out how it worked and it was a bit fiddly however they did manage to make bracelets and bag charms and two of them were very keen to make something for everyone. At the beginning they needed adult help to get started but then the nine-year-old totally understood how it worked and how to make the different pieces of jewellery.

To sum up, I think the squishy lover in your family will love to receive this for Christmas as the box looks very impressive and the beads and noodles are lovely and squishy to the touch. I’m not sure how long it would keep your child entertained as each item was similar to make so might not challenge their own creativity but as everything is re-usable (all your jewellery can be taken apart and used again) they would have the opportunity to re-visit and re-make. The age recommendation is 5+ (due to small parts) and I would agree with this as the beads are really small and may even look like sweets. There are many, many squishy merchandise out there so this is another way to use this very popular product and I’m sure will be popular to many.

Rating: 4/5
RRP: £22.99
This product can be purchased from www.johnadams.co.uk.