Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

These have always been my favorite kind of toy. After reading some of the negative reviews, here are some things to know before buying this toy and how to care for it: 1. These are NOT foam squishies, aka slow-rise squishy, these are "mochi squishies" (because they look and feel like rice mochi). They are actually made of a super-soft material called elastomer (basically an elastic plastic). I personally like the way they "squish" way better than foam squishies. They are jiggly and bouncy like a gel 2. Elastomer is *very* delicate and stretching it too much will cause little tears, it can also "pill" like fabric if there is too much friction. It's better to mush and poke them with fingers, not stretch them (even though that is soooooo much fun) or rub around. They will last much longer if they are just poked and prodded, it's like poking slime in terms of texture 3. They are velvety because they have a thin dusting of powder (also just like real mochi). If this powder is washed off, they will get sticky but it can be fixed by dusting with talcum powder or corn starch. If you put them in water, the powder will come off and your "mochi" will get sticky, but water is the right way to clean them if they become dirty. Just be sure to dust them with powder after the bath 4. It's better to play with them on a hard, clean surfaces, like a desk or table. Playing with them on a rug, floor, or bed makes it more likely they'll get "pills" and they'll eat up dirt like an eraser 5. Kids can destroy these in a matter of hours unless they know what kind of play will damage them (mainly, rubbing around in grubby hands and stretching out as far as possible)... I speak directly from childhood experience, lol 6. Do not store them or leave them touching hard plastic for a long period of time, the two plastics will eventually try to bond and it makes a weird sticky dent in the hard plastic (which is interesting science, but the damage is permanent) 7. They will get weird and sticky/tacky if exposed to heat, don't store in them in direct sunlight or leave in a hot car 8. They last for a long time if treated gently! Of course, you can opt to just sacrifice them for the sake of stretching and squeezing to your heart's content, but know they'll not look great or last as long I can't believe I just wrote a guide on these silly things. College stress is clearly getting to me. I hope this can help someone enjoy these neat little toys a bit more now. Well, time to poke some squishies and write this outline...! @_@