I was a child growing up in the ’90s. I was raised with Nickelodeon programming (commonly referred to as “good Nickelodeon”) and the words ‘slime’ and ‘Gak’ still bring a nostalgic smile to my face. Well, I guess that smile is nostalgic no more because Gak Is Back and this past weekend, I was able to introduce my two stepdaughters to both Gak and new Nickelodeon Floam. We had an absolute ball!

It is particularly difficult to explain what Gak is, other than saying you have to hold it and play with it for a few minutes to fully understand. But because you’re reading this and I can’t just plop a handful of it into your hand, I can explain by saying it is a stretchy, squishy substance of an incredibly unique and unusual texture that can be squeezed, squashed, stretched, twisted, rolled, and bubbled. But most people’s favorite thing about Gak, especially if you’re a child (or an adult with a child-like sense of humor), is the variety of noises Gak makes when you push it back into its container. Hilarious! Easily a half an hour of fun built right into Gak and the air-tight plastic container it comes packaged in.

Gak is available in six colors with very entertaining names: Rebel Red, You Blue It, Yakkity Yellow, Goo Green, Tickled Pink, and Purple Panic.

Floam is a reusable molding compound whose texture and bright colors make molding infinitely more fun. Floam can be squeezed, squashed, flattened, and sculpted by your little artists for hours of fun with endless possibilities for creation. It can also be molded onto household items like picture frames, flower pots, vases, toys, and anything else you would like to transform into a colorful Floam masterpiece. When you’re done using Floam, squish it back into its air-tight container to reuse or you can leave it out overnight to harden so they can be kept forever.

Floam is also available in six different colors: Rockin’ Red, Blazin’ Blue, Electric Yellow, Glimmer Green, Posh Pink, and Purple Power.

We had so much fun playing with Gak and Floam. My 7-year-old stepdaughter was partial to Gak and she had a blast stretching and bouncing it around the kitchen with her dad, and they played with it for about an hour. My 6-year-old stepdaughter, however, took the concept of sculpting with Floam very seriously, as she does with everything involving arts and crafts. She’s an awesome little artist, and while she played with Floam and Gak for the same hour her sister was having fun with it with her, she kept coming back to the kitchen table to create new works of art with Floam throughout the day, which is pretty much a slam dunk as far as toys that can keep kids occupied go.

Nickelodeon Floam and Gak have both been reformulated for a new generation of families, and their new formula is easier to use and less messy than ever before. They are both non-toxic, non-staining, phthalate-free, latex-free, and BPA-free, and are available at Target, Toys R Us, Bed Bath and Beyond, A.C. Moore, and Walgreens, in addition to their websites, and retail for $6.99 each.

I received Nickelodeon Floam and Gak for review. No other compensation was received, and opinions are my own.