Consider me a mean mom. When Nickelodeon introduced Gak and Floam back in the 90’s I wouldn’t buy either for my daughter. All I could think of was the mess I’d have to clean up when she was done playing with it.  She’d have to get her fix by watching them used on TV.

But Nickelodeon recently brought back Gak and Floam, this time formulated to be less messy and easier to play with than in the past. When Team Mom asked if I wanted to review it I had to give my younger daughter a chance to play with it, somewhat releasing me of my past guilt.

[pinit]Sammi, who is 13, had a blast playing with Floam, which is like a molding compound. You can create something and save it, or squish it back into the air-tight container to use again. It looks like you couldn’t do much with it since it’s made up of extremely tiny balls. Once you squeeze it together or flatten it out you form into creations that are guided by your imagination.

[pinit]I shared Gak with my friend and her children. Gak is known for its rude sound effects. If your kids get over that, there’s a lot more you can do with it. Believe me there’s hours of fun and creativity with Gak. My friend’s kids had bubble races to see who could make the largest bubbles.  The little girls liked to roll it and make snakes and worms.  Christian (age 7) would put it to his chin to see how long he could make a beard.  Adam (age 12) got such a kick out of the noises it would make when he squished it into the container.  They also made balls out them and bounced them off the walls and it didn’t even stick.

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Yes, your children will be entertained, but they will also be taking part in creative play, constructive play, solo and associate play. They will use their fine motor skills and their senses (especially touch). So Moms, go ahead and let your children enjoy some time with Gak and Floam. It’s educational and fun. And not messy.

Disclosure: I received samples of Gak and Floam from Team Mom for this review. All opinions are my own and my fellow reviewing mom. This blog uses affiliate links.