The pink Squishmallows box says “10 Days of Skincare” right on the front. Easy enough to read at arm’s length. Easy to miss in a tiny shopping thumbnail when somebody you love has asked for “the squishy one.”
Totally The Bomb publisher Jamie Slack knows how specific that request can be. Her daughter Halle is obsessed with NeeDoh. Last year Jamie bought a knockoff and regretted it. For a Halle-style wish list, we’d start with NeeDoh Squishmas. Here’s what you actually get when you open each of these 2026 countdowns.
Which one should you wrap?
- For something to squeeze every day: NeeDoh Squishmas has 24 Teenie toys.
- For a Sanrio collector: Jazwares puts 18 Hello Kitty and Friends figures and six cardboard decorations in its 24-door box.
- For the Squishmallows fan who loves hand cream: TONYMOLY mixes skincare minis and character accessories across 10 doors.
- For something soft to hug: Disney’s Olaf is one plush with a little Sven marker you move each day.
NeeDoh Squishmas is the one for the actual squish
Each door has a little Teenie NeeDoh, with different shapes and textures across the set. The box folds out into a winter scene. In the photo below it’s already unfolded, but the numbered doors are still shut, so you can see how it works without spoiling Christmas Eve.
On November 6, CVS confirmed $29.99 for the 2026 edition, CVS item 899030. If you’re comparing two similar-looking boxes, pull up that item number and check the seller, the package photo and the 24-toy count together. CVS included this calendar in Jamie’s sample assortment. The product photos here are from Kohl’s. Check your CVS store or see our NeeDoh shopping guide.
Squishmallows fans: read the little line under the characters
A miniature figure, a stuffed plush and a beauty accessory are three different gifts. If a tiny stuffed Squishmallow is the whole point, check that the contents actually say plush and say how many. A brand name or a 24-piece count alone won’t tell you what’s behind each door.
For the display shelf: Hello Kitty and Friends
The Hello Kitty and Friends calendar in Jazwares’ Squish-a-longs line is a little Sanrio village in pieces. Eighteen of the 24 surprises are two-inch figures. The other six are cardboard scenery, including a gingerbread house and a snow globe. Pompompurin looks like a gingerbread cookie, and the fold-out box gives the whole crew somewhere to live.
See the Jazwares listing or peek at the figures and the scene.
For the bathroom shelf: Squishmallows x TONYMOLY
The very pink $30 box pairs skincare minis, including hand cream and sheet masks, with Squishmallows-themed accessories. Ten doors is a nice length for a countdown between finals and Christmas. Wrap this one for the person who would be delighted to find hand cream behind a character’s face.
See the ten-day TONYMOLY calendar or look inside the pink box.
For a plush they can hug on December 1: Disney’s Olaf
Olaf wears a Santa hat and has the numbers on his belly. Little Sven marks the day. The fun is moving him each morning, and Olaf can come back out next December. That also solves the problem of where to put two dozen little things after Christmas. See Disney’s photo of Olaf and Sven.
Make a 12-day squishy calendar for someone with strong opinions
For the person who only likes certain textures, put together twelve numbered paper bags. You can pick the surprises yourself and keep the tags or wrappers with them, which is handy if your recipient collects a particular brand. Here’s a mix you can borrow:
- Days 1–3: Start with a favorite mini squeeze toy, a pop fidget and a tiny stuffed animal. Have your recipient pick the texture they like best.
- Days 4–6: Try a slow-rise foam squishy, a sealed pot of putty and a plush clip for their bag.
- Days 7–9: Pick a food-shaped squishy, a different color of their day-one favorite and a little zip pouch to carry the keepers.
- Days 10–12: Add a mystery animal, a second toy in the winning texture and the specific brand or character they asked for as the finale.
If the wish list says “NeeDoh,” put a real one in that last bag. Jamie already did the knockoff experiment for the rest of us.
Shopping for someone with an entirely different obsession? Our 2026 Advent calendar guide has the food, games, jewelry and oddball picks, too.
