Anyone know if there is a major difference in quality between Nickelodeon Floam and other brands of 'PlayFoam'?

For those who didn't grow up on Nickelodeon: http://youtu.be/OwiAbiGP0xA

These things are great. I bought 3 of these last time. I keep a pack at work for customers who have kids and it keeps them busy (and more importantly Quiet!) while I help their parents.

I bought another set for my kid brother and he loved them. They also make great stocking stuffers if you're planing that far in advance.

Bought this last time for my kids as well. They love it! The red stains the hands a little bit, but it washes right off with soap and water.

iceph03nix wrote:For those who didn't grow up on Nickelodeon: http://youtu.be/OwiAbiGP0xA

Nick had there own foam in the early 90's, I always thought it got banned because it was epic toxic. Ehh all the fun stuff is toxic :/

I bought this the last time it was offered, even though I saw comments where people complained (and posted videos) about the horrible, super sticky, wet consistency.

Two of my colors (I can't remember which) are dry and very easy to work with. It's super fun and what I remember Floam to be.

The other two colors are horrible. It just sticks to the skin and you can't really make anything. I've noticed that the bad ones seem to have a higher ratio of "liquid" in relation to the tiny foam balls. It's just a bad mix.

That being said, I had a lot of fun playing with the two good colors, one of which is apparently blue 'cuz I made this top-heavy smurf.

$9.99 last time, too. Praise except for cleanup (e.g., carpet) possibly:

http://kids.woot.com/Forums/ViewPost.aspx?PostID=5016376

I remember playing with this when I was a kid. I tried to collect all the different colors. It had a unique smell to it. Nice to know they still make it. I'm buying some for my nephew. I think that back in the day it was $4-5 for one container of it.

ThunderThighs wrote:In response to concerns and questions about this last time, we posted the following information that is on the Specs tab for this sale:


It is important to note that this is a whole new version of Floam and is very different than the old Floam which some customers have referenced in the comments.

How do I remove Floam from clothing/fabric/carpet/counter/hair?

With short-term contact on these surfaces (less than 30 seconds), there is an extremely limited chance of any transfer, staining or discoloration. Avoid having Floam come into contact with hair, paper, unfinished wood, soft fabric, varnished, painted or porous surfaces. If you do accidentally get Floam on an unintended surface for a prolonged period, follow these steps:

1) Remember that Floam is water soluble and can be removed easily from most surfaces with soap and warm water.
2) Remove as much Floam as possible by hand.
3) Remove the excess from surfaces with warm water and a sponge or cloth.
4) Dried Floam can be loosened by applying a wet cloth for several minutes. Once softened, remove as much as possible by hand. Then apply a cleaning solution (such as soap and water – or as recommended by the garment or item’s care and cleaning label) to remove the balance of the Floam.
5) With clothes that you would normally just put in the wash, Floam should come out with ease. Make sure Floam is removed from clothing before putting in a dryer.
6) If you get Floam in your hair, gently remove as much of the Floam as possible, then just wash your hair normally to remove any remaining Floam.

Thanks, I wouldn't have thought it would be under the specs tab.

They still make Floam?!?!?!?! I always wanted it as a kid, but my parents would never get it for me, but now I have my own money I can spend. My life just got so much better!!!!!!

ThunderThighs wrote:In response to concerns and questions about this last time, we posted the following information that is on the Specs tab for this sale:


It is important to note that this is a whole new version of Floam and is very different than the old Floam which some customers have referenced in the comments.

How do I remove Floam from clothing/fabric/carpet/counter/hair?

With short-term contact on these surfaces (less than 30 seconds), there is an extremely limited chance of any transfer, staining or discoloration. Avoid having Floam come into contact with hair, paper, unfinished wood, soft fabric, varnished, painted or porous surfaces. If you do accidentally get Floam on an unintended surface for a prolonged period, follow these steps:

1) Remember that Floam is water soluble and can be removed easily from most surfaces with soap and warm water.
2) Remove as much Floam as possible by hand.
3) Remove the excess from surfaces with warm water and a sponge or cloth.
4) Dried Floam can be loosened by applying a wet cloth for several minutes. Once softened, remove as much as possible by hand. Then apply a cleaning solution (such as soap and water – or as recommended by the garment or item’s care and cleaning label) to remove the balance of the Floam.
5) With clothes that you would normally just put in the wash, Floam should come out with ease. Make sure Floam is removed from clothing before putting in a dryer.
6) If you get Floam in your hair, gently remove as much of the Floam as possible, then just wash your hair normally to remove any remaining Floam.

I'm thinking any substance that has a whole page of "This can go very, very wrong and here is how you can attempt to fix it" tips may do better as an outdoor toy.

captainsuperdawg wrote:They still make Floam?!?!?!?! I always wanted it as a kid, but my parents would never get it for me, but now I have my own money I can spend. My life just got so much better!!!!!!

Haha, that was me when I saw this on Deals.Woot. Seriously, pretty much exactly what I said. Funfortunately I paid 9 dollars for one colour. Had I known I could have bought 4 colours for 10 I would have waited.

lstaff wrote:I'm thinking any substance that has a whole page of "This can go very, very wrong and here is how you can attempt to fix it" tips may do better as an outdoor toy.

These days, EVERY Substance has a page of warnings, hints, and "don't sue us" language attached.

These are about $5.99 each at our local ToyRus. Even with $5.00 shipping this is still a much better deal. I loved it while I was growing up.
Just a tip: Dont expect to be able to make those creations from the video right off the bat. This is not enough floam for that job(unless you buy 3!!) and you have to be experienced. Stick to the floam monster from the instructions sheet. It'll do wonders for your confidence starting off small.

In response to the question about different brands... Some of the other ones offer a non-drying version. in the past, I have had problems with it drying out when I didn't want it to (I know it is supposedly different now). Also, some of the off brands have that higher liquid to Styrofoam ball ration that makes it stickier.

I'm in for three. I have four kids from 8-14 and they all love floam. I haven't used this new formula so I don't know how it's different, but what I love about all floam type products is how non messy they are. Compared to other sand/ slime stuff to play with this doesn't get all over and is easier to clean up. I bought some generic stuff at Walgreens for Easter and it was a little stickier so you might lose a little when putting it away cause a few balls would stick to your fingers, but I didn't find that it created a problem.
Oh yeah, I like playing with it too!

Make your own Floam:

http://gretchenewilliams.com/school-desk-how-to-make-floam

Hmm. Judging by the pictures, it is probably easier just to buy it.

I remember playing with this years ago. I don't remember problems with staining, but I will note this:

1) The smell is...not bad, but certainly unique. It may be a bit off-putting to some.

2) If you roll it between your palms (to create a ball or strand), it'll shed those round balls.

Still, loads of fun!