The Toy of the Summer is a Stick of Butter?
Every year, the Wildwood Boardwalk seems to crown one unexpected item as the unofficial “Toy of the Summer.” It is usually the one thing you suddenly start seeing everywhere. Kids are carrying them around, crane games are packed with them, boardwalk shops are stocked floor to ceiling with them, and before long, knockoff versions begin appearing all across the boardwalk.
Even though summer hasn’t really technically begun, with Memorial Day weekend serving as the traditional kickoff to the shore season, there are already a few early contenders emerging for 2026.
The Toy of the Summer is a Stick of Butter?
Last summer, one of the biggest crazes on the boardwalk was the LaBubu plush dolls.
Originally created by Pop Mart, the quirky collectible toys exploded into a global trend and quickly found their way onto the Wildwood Boardwalk.
Some shops were selling authentic versions for surprisingly high prices, while others stocked cheaper imitation versions that still flew off the shelves. Yes we did buy the fake ones. No matter where you walked, it felt impossible to avoid them.
This year, however, the trends seem to have taken a much stranger turn.
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Over Memorial Day weekend, the Wildwood Video Archive team spent time walking up and down the Wildwood Boardwalk checking out souvenir stores, game stands, and crane machines to see what people were buying the most.
This was mostly because it was raining, and it was a fun activity to do.
Two items immediately stood out, mostly because they made absolutely no sense to us at first glance.
The first was a squishy stick of butter.
Not butter-themed merchandise. Not a character based on butter. Just a giant squishy toy designed to look exactly like a stick of butter. It was the same size and all.
The second was an equally confusing trend involving squishy dumplings.
Again, these were not traditional toys or recognizable characters from movies, cartoons, or video games.
They were simply soft, squeezable, dumpling-shaped toys that somehow had become incredibly popular with kids and teenagers visiting the boardwalk.
And honestly, that may be what makes the “Toy of the Summer” phenomenon so entertaining every year.
The trends are rarely predictable. One summer it is collectible plush dolls, another year it is pop-it fidget toys, and now, apparently, squishy butter and dumplings are battling it out for the crown.
As the summer season continues and more visitors arrive in Wildwood, it will be interesting to see which trend ultimately takes over the boardwalk in 2026.
Did you buy or win any of these this past weekend?
In case you didn’t make it down for Memorial Day Weekend, the WVA filmed a recap video below for you to get caught up. Before you watch, please subscribe.