Illinois Mother Warns Parents After Son Suffers Burns from Sensory Toy Explosion

An Illinois mother is urging other parents to exercise caution after her 9-year-old son sustained serious burns following an incident involving a sensory toy. Whitney Grubb recently recounted this alarming occurrence to ABC News, explaining that her son, Caleb Chabolla, attempted to heat a popular sensory toy called a NeeDoh Nice Cube in a microwave for approximately 40 seconds. Upon retrieval, the toy exploded, resulting in burns to Caleb’s face and hands.

Caleb’s mother expressed her main objective in sharing their story: “My main goal with this is just to get the warning out about the product and the challenge that’s going on and show it to your kids,” Grubb shared with ABC News. She emphasized the potential dangers of engaging in certain social media trends that can lead to injury.

NeeDoh toys, including the NeeDoh Nice Cube, are marketed by toy company Schylling as sensory objects that can be stretched and compressed without losing their original shape. However, Schylling’s warnings clearly state, “CHOKING HAZARD — Small parts. Not for children under 3 yrs., Do NOT heat, freeze, or microwave, may cause personal injury.”

Grubb shared that Caleb was inspired to try microwaving the NeeDoh toy after watching a friend’s experiment and noted the presence of videos online showing similar practices. The intention behind these videos is typically to alter the toy’s pliability.

Recalling the distressing moment, Grubb described her son’s screams: “I just heard him screaming and yelling, ‘It burns. It burns,’” she recalled of the incident on January 20. When Caleb stopped in front of her, she noticed his face was coated in a thick, gel-like substance.

Following the explosion, Grubb hurried Caleb to a local emergency room, after which he was transferred to the Burn Center at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois, for further treatment. Hospital officials confirmed Caleb had suffered second-degree burns affecting his face, ear, and hands.

“Unfortunately, Caleb’s is the fourth case we have seen this year with NeeDoh cubes,” noted Paula Petersen, a nurse at Loyola University Medical Center’s Burn Center. “Caleb is very lucky he didn’t sustain greater injuries. These trends can be extremely dangerous for young people who are less likely to consider or unable to understand the serious consequences.”

Caleb spent the night in the hospital and is now on the road to recovery. He was able to return to school two weeks after the incident. “He’s doing good,” Grubb reported, noting that her son is gradually settling back into his usual routine.

In the aftermath of the event, ABC News reached out to Schylling, the manufacturer of NeeDoh Nice Cube toys, for a statement.