West Hartford Public Schools sent a letter to families on Thursday alerting them about the harmful ‘Orbeeze Challenge’ trend.

By Ronni Newton

“Orbeez” are intended to be a toy for children ages 5 and up – a squishy gel-like object that is “so oddly satisfying to touch,” according to one advertisement for an “Orbeez Sensation Station,” but police and school administrators are concerned about a TikTok trend has turned the small water pellets into weapons.

West Hartford Public Schools, in partnership with West Hartford Police, sent a letter to all parents, caregivers, and students in the district on Thursday afternoon regarding safety concerns related to the “Orbeez Challenge.”

The TikTok trend, which has been around for more than a year, has recently been reported as occurring in West Hartford and other nearby towns. According to the letter, police have received reports of students using “toy guns fulled with gel beads, often referred to as Orbeez guns” in an activity being promoted on various social media platforms.

The letter states: “The ‘Orbeeze Challenge’ encourages young people to use a toy gun loaded with projectile water pellets to shoot at innocent victims, and or vehicles. Devices like these, albeit a toy, can cause serious harm to individuals as well as to property. Pointing a toy gun can have dire consequences.”

The school district and police said they “cannot overstate the dangers involved when individuals decide to participate in these behaviors.”

Families are being encouraged to speak with their children about the dangers of the “Orbeeze Challenge,” and ask that they discourage them from using these toy guns. They also emphasize that toy guns should not be possessed on school property or at any school activity or event.

School officials state that they will be “reinforcing this important message with students in school in the coming days and weeks.”

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