"Warning to Parents: My Daughter’s Skin Was Severely Burned After a Popular Squishy Toy Exploded!"

AS Violet played with her collection of squishy toys, she noticed one was much firmer than usual and microwaved the seemingly harmless cube.

The popular toys have been hijacked by a dangerous social media trend inspiring youngsters to freeze or microwave the gel-filled blocks – a quick hack that left the 10-year-old suffering from horrific burns across her face that felt like her skin was “melting off”. Here Violet’s dad warns of the hidden dangers and catastrophic consequences of these toys and how parents can avoid a similar fate.

Violet Zerbst was left with second-degree burns after a fidget toy exploded in her face Credit: Supplied Violet said the horror burn left her feeling like her face was ‘melting off’ Credit: Supplied Jody Zerbst and his daughter Violet are raising awareness of the hidden dangers of these toys Credit: Supplied A NeeDoh toy is a squishy gel-filled cube similar to a fidget toy Credit: Supplied

Jody Zerbst, from ‘s Gold Coast, told The Sun: “You wouldn’t ever think a squishy toy is dangerous.

“They’re everywhere. Some people have dozens or even hundreds at home. But they don’t realise these things can detonate.”

Jody was watching the World Cup on Sunday morning as Violet was playing with her collection of NeeDoh cubes – a popular sensory toy similar to a stress ball.

One of the toys was firmer than usual, so the schoolgirl decided to heat it up in the microwave when chaos struck.

Violet told the Sun: “I put it in the microwave for 30 seconds and then took it out.

“It was making a swooshing sound as I was squishing it. Then it formed a kind of bubble.”

Suddenly, the toy exploded and covered her face in its boiling hot contents, leaving her screaming in pain.

She said: “It felt like my skin was melting off.”

Jody had been making a cup of tea when he said he heard an “awful noise that wasn’t even like a scream”.

“It was the kind of sound that you immediately know is not normal”, he said.

Violet’s mum ran her to the bathroom and held her face under cold water while her dad called the ambulance.

“The skin sort of all peeled off, and as it was in her mouth, she was trying to spit this out,” Jody said.

Emergency services rushed to the scene where Violet was treated by paramedics.

She was given Fentanyl to cope with the “immense pain” while her burns were treated in a cold bath.

The burns covered the side of Violet’s face but thankfully missed her eyes Credit: Supplied Violet’ Zerbst’s dad said he was astonished by her quick recovery Credit: Supplied

Jody said: “She was kept in for so long she essentially developed hypothermia.

“Her temperature dropped to 34C. But they knew they could warm her up; they just didn’t want to take her out.”

Violet was admitted to the Gold Coast Hospital University, where she spent a week recovering from second-degree burns.

Shockingly, she was the second child the hospital treated for burns from a squishy just last week.

Jody said: “Parents need to understand the risk and how dangerous these toys can be.

“When Violet took the toy out of the microwave, it didn’t feel hot on the outside – but the liquid inside was boiling.

“What happened was horrific. Violet must have managed to close her eyes and turn her head because the burn only covered the side of her face.

“She was holding it right up to her face when it exploded, so the outcome could have been much worse.”

Violet before the incident last week Credit: Supplied

The incident comes amid concerns that social media users are promoting the hack on , and .

Violet is just one of dozens of children who have been hospitalised with devastating burns from the squishy toys.

Official versions of the NeeDoh come with clear instructions not to microwave the product.

Violet had been playing with a knock-off version at the time of the incident, which Jody said had a smaller, discreet warning that was easily missed.

But, he said: “I don’t think it’s about the warnings, it’s awareness.

“Whether kids see the trend online or not, they’re just children and will experiment with things.

“Parents must warn their children never to heat them up.”

The gel inside NeeDoh toys can vary, but most are filled with a polyvinyl gel or maltose – a sticky 100% natural sugar extract.

These materials trap and hold heat much faster than water, causing steam to expand and a buildup of extreme pressure.

This can cause the plastic casing of the toy to explode, releasing a molten sugar-like substance that can stick to the skin as it burns.

Consumer Reports found that some toys exploded after just 15 seconds of heating, reaching temperatures above 200 degrees.

In the UK, a council has issued a stark warning about the toys.

Gloucestershire County Councillor Paul Hodgkinson said: “These products can look harmless, but if they haven’t been made to the right standards they can pose a real risk to children.”

Gloucestershire Trading Standards has seized 1,968 toys in the past three months, including copies of NeeDoh products which failed to meet basic safety requirements.

Violet said she has seen a number of videos promoting the hack online since the incident Credit: Supplied Violet has made a miraculous recovery with the help of her mum and sisters Credit: Supplied

The UK Department of and Trade described the circulating online as “dangerous”.

A spokesperson told The Sun: “Under the Online Safety Act, platforms should prevent children from seeing content which encourages dangerous stunts and challenges.

“Manufacturers and suppliers must only place safe products on the market in line with our strict laws, and provide instructions to users on how to use them safely.”

Despite her injuries, Jody said Violet has made an “astonishing recovery” thanks to the help of her “amazing” mum and sisters.

He said: “And she’s really making an impact by sharing her story.

“I’ve had so many messages from parents saying they are speaking to kids about this. I was even told a head teacher went round his whole school to talk about what happened to Violet.”

It comes after a string of similar incidents that have left children in emergency rooms.

Nine-year-old suffered second-degree burns to his face, hands and behind one ear when a NeeDoh exploded on him.

The youngster from , , was rushed to Loyola Burn Centre by his terrified mum on January 20.

Caleb was the fourth case the centre had seen involving Needoh Cubes that month alone.

Violet now wants to share her story and spread awareness of the dangers of the toys Credit: 7News The popular NeeDoh toys have been hijacked by a terrifying trend Credit: Amazon

And last year, a seven-year-old girl from , America, was left in a coma after attempting the trend.

Scarlett Selby touched the toy to check it wasn’t too hot before removing it from the microwave, but within seconds it exploded.

The piping hot gel burnt the inside of Scarlett’s mouth, leading doctors to fear her airways would swell up and close.

She was placed in an induced coma for three days.

Manufacturer Schylling Toys has a warning on their website that reads, “Do NOT heat, freeze or microwave, may cause personal injury.”

Meanwhile, TikTok warns on its site that the platform doesn’t “allow the display or promotion of dangerous activities and challenges or violence.”

“This may include dares, games, tricks, inappropriate use of dangerous tools, eating substances that are harmful to one’s , or similar activities that may lead to significant physical harm,” the site says.

But this has not stopped people from trying out crazy stunts that allegedly proliferated through the platform.

The Sun has approached TikTok, and Schylling Toys for comment.