If there is one thing Crazy Aaron’s has proven over the years, it is that Thinking Putty is not a finished idea. It is a platform. The company’s latest wave of products leans hard into texture, sensory play, and hands-on creativity, while also branching into something completely new.
The result is a lineup that feels less like incremental updates and more like a rethink of how people actually play with fidgets and compounds in 2026.
Better Butter Thinking Putty leans all the way into texture
The headline addition is Better Butter Thinking Putty, a new formulation designed to feel creamy, smooth, and soft in the hands. The company is not subtle about the inspiration. The goal is to recreate the sensation of playing with butter, without the mess, stickiness, or eventual regret.
Better Butter is less oily than slime, never dries out, and avoids the residue issues that sometimes come with ultra-soft compounds. It also adds a light, mellow scent element, which makes the experience more sensory without being overpowering.
The initial lineup includes three variations: Better Butter Thinking Putty, Better Butter Buttercream Thinking Putty, and Better Butter Berry Butter Thinking Putty. Each combines color, scent, and texture in a way that feels intentionally calming rather than chaotic.
Mix Your Own Mac N Cheese putty is built for DIY play
Crazy Aaron’s is also expanding its Mix It concept with a Mac N Cheese-themed set that leans fully into customization. This is a do-it-yourself experience right in the tin. Clear putty, color-izer, and mix-ins are all included, allowing users to create the final look themselves.
It is easy to see why this kind of product is designed for repeat play, gifting, and video-friendly unboxing. The act of mixing becomes part of the fun, rather than just a step before playing.
Pinchies mark a big shift for the brand
The most interesting move may be Pinchies, which represent Crazy Aaron’s first non-compound fidget line. Instead of putty or slime, Pinchies are squishy, tactile characters that snap, click, and bounce back into shape with every pinch.
Each Pinchies set includes three collectible characters and a small gameboard, turning them into a quick one-to-two player challenge rather than a purely passive fidget. They are designed to be portable, durable, and satisfying to handle without needing a surface or container.
Initial collections include Jungle Jam Pinchies with a shark, alligator, and gorilla, Pet Parade Pinchies with a dog, cat, and hamster, and Barnyard Bash Pinchies featuring a chicken, pig, and cow. The collectible angle is obvious, but the added gameplay gives them a reason to come out of a backpack instead of disappearing into one.
The bigger picture
What ties all of this together is a focus on intentional play. Better Butter is about feel. Mix Your Own sets are about creation. Pinchies are about interaction. None of these products feel like novelty for novelty’s sake.
Crazy Aaron’s continues to treat sensory toys as something worth refining rather than churning out. That approach is likely why Thinking Putty has lasted as long as it has, and why the brand still feels relevant in an increasingly crowded fidget space.
Bottom line
Better Butter Thinking Putty and Pinchies show that Crazy Aaron’s is not content to coast on familiarity. By pushing into new textures, hands-on customization, and even entirely new product categories, the company is quietly setting itself up for another long stretch of relevance in the fidget world.
