Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Is 'floam' Gluten-free


Ashley

Recommended Posts

Ashley Enthusiast

I just had sinus surgery and I can't walk, run, 'heavily' excerise, or lift anything over five pounds for two weeks. So basically waste away <_< anyway, since I know I can't have playdoh, my folks went and got me a package of floam. It's all bubbly and squishy. I love to squeeze it!!! Problem is, being so out of it, I threw the package it came in and the bucket you put it in when your done doesn't have any contact info. So, I have no idea if it's gluten-free. Help?

-Ash


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



angel-jd1 Community Regular
I just had sinus surgery and I can't walk, run, 'heavily' excerise, or lift anything over five pounds for two weeks. So basically waste away <_< anyway, since I know I can't have playdoh, my folks went and got me a package of floam. It's all bubbly and squishy. I love to squeeze it!!! Problem is, being so out of it, I threw the package it came in and the bucket you put it in when your done doesn't have any contact info. So, I have no idea if it's gluten-free. Help?

-Ash

I tried to google "floam ingredients" and didn't have any luck, however did find recipes to make your OWN floam.....among other things. Looks like in this recipe they use glue....I know some glues are not safe....some are.....can you try to call the floam company?

HOW TO MAKE FLOAM

INGREDIENTS:

2-Tsp. Borax (available in laundry aisle at your

grocery store)

½-Cup Water (Tap water is fine)

¼-Cup White Glue (available in

Craft/Department/Discount Stores)

¼-Cup Water (Tap water is fine)

1-Zip Lock Bag (1 qt. Bag is best)

Food Coloring (Optional- kids like colors)

Styrofoam Beads (about 2 - bathroom 3 oz. cups

full for above)

MIXING DIRECTIONS -

1. Dissolve 2-Tsp. Borax Completely in ½-cup (4

oz.) water.

2. In a separate bowl mix ¼-cup (2 oz.) white

glue and ¼-cup (2 oz.) water.

Add food coloring of your choice to this

solution.

3. Pour the glue solution into a zip lock bag.

Then add 1-Tbs. of the

Borax/water solution to the glue solution. At

this point you will think that

this stuff will never come out of this bag.

4. Add Styrofoam Beads to the mixture to make

"Floam".

5. Seal bag and knead by hand until thoroughly

mixed. Let stand about 15

minutes, and then knead by hand again. Take out

of bag when the gel

("Floam") separates easily from the inside bag

walls. It will have the

consistency of dough.

Where to buy the microbeads [someone recommended

buying here].

Open Original Shared Link..

They currently sell

1 gallon of the teenie tiny microbeads (you

really want the smallest ones

you can find as they make for more realistic

Floam) for less than $12.

Personally, I bought my 1/2 cubic foot giant bag

of these beads, which

appears to me to be more than a gallon, at Hobby

Lobby for $14.92. Pay tax,

but no shipping (or waiting).

Floam

1 Tbs. Borax

1 Cup Water

¼ Cup White Glue(or 4% polyvinyl alcohol)

¼ Cup Water

1 Zip Lock Bag

Food Coloring

Styrofoam Beads

1. Dissolve 1 Tbs. Borax Completely in 1 cup

water

2. In a separate bowl mix ¼ cup white glue and ¼

cup water

3. Mix equal parts of Borax solution to equal

parts of glue

solution in zip lock bag ( ½ cup of each = 1 cup

of slime)

4. Add a few drops of food coloring

5. Seal bag and knead by hand

6. Add Styrofoam Beads to the mixture to make

"Floam"

Explanation: Borax acts as a crosslinking agent

or "connector" for the

glue (polyvinyl acetate) molecules.

The glue molecules join together to form even

larger molecules called

polymers: result - a thickened gel very similar

to slime.

If you have access to a chemical supply house,

try a 4% solution of

polyvinyl alcohol instead of glue for a less

rubbery polymer. It will be

more transparent & show off color better.

Blubber

½ Cup water

½ Cup glue

½ Cup water

2 Tbsp Borax

1. Do not use cheap glue that has too much water

in it.

2. Mix ½ cup water with ½ cup glue

3. In a separate container, mix ½ cup water with

2 T Borax (You'll find this

hidden away in a tiny recess of your detergent

aisle)

3. Now, while stirring the Borax mixture

constantly, add the glue mixture.

It should immediately glump up and look like

blubber (Or at least what we

imagine blubber to look like.)

4. If it isn't really glumpy and tough, mix up

more Borax mixture and add

that to it. Use the same toys as with silly

putty. This does not stick to

things as much as silly putty.

SLIME

1 Part Liquid starch

2 Part Elmer's Glue

Food Coloring (opt.)

Mix and enjoy. It's supposed to be like slime.

Modeling "Goop"

2/3 cup water

2 cups salt

1/2 cup water

1 cup cornstarch

beads, colored macaroni and other small objects

Add 2/3 cup water to the salt in a pan, stir and

cook over med. heat,

stirring 4-5

minutes until salt is dissolved. Remove mix from

heat. Gradually mix 1/2 cup

water with the cornstarch in a separate

container. Stir until smooth. Add

the

cornstarch mixture to the salt mixture. Return to

low heat and stir and cook

until

smooth. The goop will thicken quickly. Remove

from heat and use for modeling

objects. Objects made from this goop can also be

hardened in the sun. This

mix

will not crumble when dry. Objects like macaroni,

etc. can be added to the

goop,

and adhered to the models.

Flubber

Solution A:

1 1/2 C. Warm Water

2 c. Elmers Glue

Food Coloring

Solution B:

4 tsp. Borax

1 1/3 C. Warm water

Mix solution A in one bowl, mix solution B in

another bowl. Dissolve both

well. Then just pour solution A into solution B,

DO NOT MIX OR STIR! Just

lift out flubber. I made this with my daughters

class, and the teacher &

children loved it! It's neater than "Gak" or

"slime". And it also a safe

chemical reaction for the kids to see. I used a

glass bowl for solution B so

the kids could see the flubber form in the bowl.

It just becomes a big

"cloud" of rubbery stuff. Store in baggies. If

you half the recipe, you only

need to half the solution A and it will work the

same.

Homemade Silly Putty

2 parts white glue

1 part liquid starch

Mix ingredients and let dry until workable. Add

more glue or starch if

necessary. May not work on humid days. Store in

airtight container.

Modeling Clay

2 cups salt

2/3 cup water

1 cup cornstarch

½ cup water (cold)

Stir salt and water over heat for about 5

minutes. Remove from heat and

stir in cornstarch and cold water. Mix until

smooth, return to heat and cook

until thick. Cool before using. Store in plastic

bag.

Cookie Clay

2 cups salt

2/3 cups water

1 cup cornstarch

½ cup cold water

Mix salt with water in saucepan. Stir and boil.

Add cornstarch and cold

water. Keep heating if it does not get thick.

Roll out dough on board

floured with cornstarch. Dry and decorate

ornaments.

flagbabyds Collaborator

here's the number to order it, they might have product info on that # also

800-643-9849

Smunkeemom Enthusiast
I just had sinus surgery and I can't walk, run, 'heavily' excerise, or lift anything over five pounds for two weeks. So basically waste away <_< anyway, since I know I can't have playdoh, my folks went and got me a package of floam. It's all bubbly and squishy. I love to squeeze it!!! Problem is, being so out of it, I threw the package it came in and the bucket you put it in when your done doesn't have any contact info. So, I have no idea if it's gluten-free. Help?

-Ash

I called them a few months back and they couldn't tell me if it's gluten free or not. :(

I do think though that Silly Putty is gluten free (at least the egg of it we have now is) and it's also fun to squeeze and tons of fun to snap.

Also, Crayola Model magic is gluten free, so it's kinda like playdough.

purplemom Apprentice

I bought my daughter floam. I'm not sure if it is Gluten free, so I just make sure she doesn't touch her face or put her hands in her mouth while she plays with it. We keep her in one are and clean the table top when she is done & she washes her hands really well. I didn't have the heart to tell her she couldn't have it. She loves anything arts & crafts so much. Good luck. I hope you are feeling better soon!

Cali

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      128,042
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    LAJAD
    Newest Member
    LAJAD
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121k
    • Total Posts
      70.6k

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Welcome to the forum, @KRipple! Sorry to hear of all your husband's health problems. I can only imagine how anxious this makes you as when our spouse suffers we hurt right along with them. Can you post the results from the Celiac blood testing for us to look at? We would need the names of the tests run, the numeric results and (this is important) the reference ranges for each test used to establish high/low/negative/positive. Different labs use different rating scales so this is why I ask for this. There aren't industry standards. Has your husband seen any improvement from eliminating gluten from his diet? If your husband had any positive results from his celiac blood antibody testing, this is likely what triggered the consult with a  GI doc for an endoscopy. During the endoscopy, the GI doc will likely biopsy the lining of the small bowel lining to check for the damage caused by celiac disease. This would be for confirmation of the results of the blood tests and is considered the gold standard of celiac disease diagnosis. But here is some difficult information I have for you. If your husband has been gluten free already for months leading up to the endoscopy/biopsy, it will likely invalidate the biopsy and result in a false negative. Starting the gluten free diet now will allow the lining of the small bowel to begin healing and if enough healing takes place before the biopsy happens, there will be no damage to see. How far out is the endoscopy scheduled for? There still may be time for your husband to go back on gluten, what we call a "gluten challenge" to ensure valid test results.
    • kate g
      Ive read articles that there is stage 2 research being conducted for drugs that will limit damage to celiacs through cross contamination- how close are they to this will there be enough funding to create a mainstream drug? 
    • KRipple
      Hello, My husband has had issues with really bad diarreah for over nine months now. In mid November, he went to the doctor for what they thought was a bad cold, which two weeks later was diagnosed as bronchitis. A week later, in December, I had to take him back to urgent care and from there, to the emergency room cause his vitals were too low. They said he was having an Addisionan crisis and he spent five days in the ICU. Since my husband has Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndrome Type II (type 1 diabetes, Addison's and Hashimoto's), I fought for a blood test to determine if he had Celiacs. Given the results of the test, he was told to go to a gastro for an endoscopy. It took two months to get his first appointment with the gastro. Still waiting for the endoscopy appointment. He stopped eating gluten in the hospital and has followed a gluten-free diet since. His diarreah continues to be as bad as before he stopped eating gluten. Still has a horrible cough that makes him hack. His energy is so depleted he pretty much goes to work, comes home and goes lie in bed. He is having issues regulating body temperature. He is barely eating (he's lost 20 pounds since mid-December). Body aches. Totally run down. He has been taking more prednisone lately to try to counter the symptoms.  Today, we went to his endo to discuss these things. She said to continue taking increased amount of prednisone (even though I explained that the increased dosage is only allowing him to do the bare minimum). According to the endo, this is all related to Celiacs. I am concerned because I know that both Celiacs and Addison's can have similar symptoms, but don't know if he would still be having these many symptoms (worsening, at that) related to the Celiac's after stopping gluten two months ago. If anyone in this group has a combination of Celiacs and Addison's, could you please share your experience? I am really concerned and am feeling frustrated. His primary care provider and endocrinologist don't seem to consider this serious enough to warrant prompt attention, and we'll see about the gastro.  Thanks.
    • cristiana
      Hi @Karmmacalling I'm very sorry to hear you are feeling so unwell.  Can you tell us exactly what sort of pain you are experiencing and where the pain is?  Is it your lower abdomen, upper abdomen etc?  Do you have any other symptoms? Cristiana
    • trents
      The NIH article you link actually supports what I have been trying to explain to you: "Celiac disease (celiac disease) is an autoimmune-mediated enteropathy triggered by dietary gluten in genetically prone individuals. The current treatment for celiac disease is a strict lifelong gluten-free diet. However, in some celiac disease patients following a strict gluten-free diet, the symptoms do not remit. These cases may be refractory celiac disease or due to gluten contamination; however, the lack of response could be related to other dietary ingredients, such as maize, which is one of the most common alternatives to wheat used in the gluten-free diet. In some celiac disease patients, as a rare event, peptides from maize prolamins could induce a celiac-like immune response by similar or alternative pathogenic mechanisms to those used by wheat gluten peptides. This is supported by several shared features between wheat and maize prolamins and by some experimental results. Given that gluten peptides induce an immune response of the intestinal mucosa both in vivo and in vitro, peptides from maize prolamins could also be tested to determine whether they also induce a cellular immune response. Hypothetically, maize prolamins could be harmful for a very limited subgroup of celiac disease patients, especially those that are non-responsive, and if it is confirmed, they should follow, in addition to a gluten-free, a maize-free diet." Notice that those for whom it is suggested to follow a maize-free diet are a "very limited subgroup of celiac disease patients". Please don't try to make your own experience normative for the entire celiac community.  Notice also that the last part of the concluding sentence in the paragraph does not equate a gluten-free diet with a maize-free diet, it actually puts them in juxtaposition to one another. In other words, they are different but for a "limited subgroup of celiac disease patients" they produce the same or a similar reaction. You refer to celiac reactions to cereal grain prolamins as "allergic" reactions and "food sensitivity". For instance, you say, "NIH sees all these grains as in opposition to celiacs, of which I am one and that is science, not any MD with a good memory who overprescribes medications that contain known food allergens in them, of which they have zero knowledge if the patient is in fact allergic to or not, since they failed to do simple 'food sensitivity' testing" and "IF a person wants to get well, they should be the one to determine what grains they are allergic to and what grains they want to leave out, not you. I need to remind you that celiac disease is not an allergy, it is an autoimmune disorder. Neither allergy testing nor food sensitivity testing can be used to diagnose celiac disease. Allergy testing and food sensitivity testing cannot detect the antibodies produced by celiac disease in reaction to gluten ingestion.  You say of me, "You must be one of those who are only gluten intolerant . . ." Gluten intolerance is synonymous with celiac disease. You must be referring to gluten sensitivity or NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity). Actually, I have been officially diagnosed with celiac disease both by blood antibody testing and by endoscopy/positive biopsy. Reacting to all cereal grain prolamins does not define celiac disease. If you are intent on teaching the truth, please get it straight first.
×
×
  • Create New...