The Disney Ooshies craze has again officially hit school playgrounds so hard that some schools across Australia have had enough.
Woolworths relaunched the Ooshie range on the 15th of July 2026 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the popular giveaway after a six-year break!
This year’s set features 40 unique characters from Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars franchises. Shoppers can get one free Ooshie for every $30 spent in a single transaction at Woolworths, BIG W, or through MILKRUN delivery until August 25th, or while stocks last.
Since some Ooshies are rarer than others, this has created a trading and collectible market even inside our schools.
Teachers have reported stealing, arguing and even fighting over the figures all over the country. To combat this, some schools are placing bans on the figures.
Somerset College, an independent primary and secondary school, sent a clear message to families this week:
“We have noticed that Ooshies are becoming increasingly popular among our students. While we understand the excitement they bring, we kindly ask that Ooshies remain at home and are not brought to the college.”
“This aligns with our general expectation that toys, collectibles, and other personal items are kept at home. Doing so helps students stay focused on learning and play, while also ensuring treasured items remain safe and are not accidentally lost or misplaced during the College day. We appreciate your support in reinforcing this expectation at home.”
Another school, Bellevue Park State School, posted on Facebook that the ban on “Ooshies and other collectible toys” is effective immediately because the items are causing “distractions, conflict and unfair trading”.
Other toys included in the ban are
– Needoh balls
– Squishy dumplings
– Cheese blocks
– Butter Blocks
– Paw squishies
– Mesh squishes
– Bread squishes
– Pea pod squishes
and other collectible toys.
The school saying:
“We need your support to make sure these items remain safe at home and are not brought to school where they can become lost, damaged or stolen,”
“In general, toys of all sorts should remain at home and not come to school unless it is a specific event or day – e.g. Teddy Bears Picnic.”
Parents are fully on board with comments like “We need them banned everywhere.”
and lots of thanks.
It’s not the first time schools have drawn a line with bringing in current fads. Collectable cards, fidget spinners, loom bands and more have all faced similar bans across many schools around the country in the past. The concerns from teachers and parents were always the same, distractions, arguments and fights around unfair trading and collectables going missing.
Now it’s Ooshies time.
