A 9-year-old boy from suburban Chicago, Illinois, suffered severe burns to his face and hands after attempting a social media “microwave challenge” involving a sensory toy, in what medical staff say is part of a recurring pattern of injuries linked to viral internet trends.
The child, Caleb Chabolla, was treated at Loyola University Medical Center’s Burn Center after the incident on January 20, 2026.
According to reports, Caleb placed a NeeDoh Cube, a popular gel-filled sensory toy, in a microwave oven at his home in Plainfield, Illinois, purportedly after hearing about the trend from a friend. The toy, which contains a thick, squishy substance, exploded within seconds of being heated, causing hot material to contact his facial skin and hands, resulting in second-degree burns. His mother, Whitney Grubb, said her son screamed “It burns, it burns” after the toy burst and stuck to his skin. She now warns other parents of this dangerous trend among the children.
Reports of other heat-related social media challenges like fire handshake challenge have also appeared in emergency departments, sometimes resulting in third-degree burns or hospitalization.
After the explosion, Caleb was initially taken to a local emergency department before being referred to Loyola Medicine’s burn centre for specialised care. Medical professionals treated his injuries, which included facial burns and burns to his hands, and noted that he was fortunate not to require a skin graft, though he is expected to have scarring and a recovery period.
Officials noted that Caleb is the fourth child treated by the hospital this year for similar injuries related to microwaving sensory toys as part of social media-driven “challenges,” prompting warnings from clinicians about the potential dangers of such activities.
The company has given an instruction not to heat up the toy in microwave or under the sun in its safety instruction.
The specific trend in this case involves placing a gel-filled sensory toy, marketed as stress relief or fidget toys, into a microwave oven with the intention of softening or warming the toy, as purportedly shown in social media videos. These toys are not designed for microwave use, and heating them can cause internal expansion or rupture, leading to the hot material ejecting from the toy and causing thermal burns when it contacts skin.
Social media trends are not limited to this one incident. Other viral challenges and stunts have been associated with injuries, some of which have involved burns or other physical harm:
The blackout challenge, which encourages intentional oxygen deprivation and has been linked to multiple deaths and severe injury as documented in past years.
The milk crate challenge, involving climbing unstable stacked crates, has resulted in fractures and soft tissue injuries.
The salt and ice challenge, where salt and ice are applied to skin, can cause frostbite-like burns and nerve damage.
The Benadryl challenge, involving excessive antihistamine ingestion, can lead to organ damage, seizures, or coma.
Reports of other heat-related social media “fire challenges” have also appeared in emergency departments, sometimes resulting in third-degree burns or hospitalization.
(Rh)
