We’re Calling It: FOAMO Will Be the Hottest Toy of Summer 2021

Setup is simple—so easy, in fact, that we went from unboxing to knee-deep in foam in less than 15 minutes (and yes, I timed it). The design itself is brilliant: Everything packs into a plastic storage tub, which doubles as the basin for holding soapy water when it’s in use. I had braced myself for plenty of fighting with metal rods and cursing under my breath (aka my tried-and-true strategy for assembling anything, be it kids’ toys or IKEA furniture), but this was intuitive. You pop together the tripod, lock in the blower, attach the pump to the bottom of the storage bin, and fill it with water and the included FOAMO solution. And while I know the law of diminishing returns will be at play, seeing the look of unbridled glee on kids’ faces as the foam starts pouring from the machine is pretty dang rewarding.

At $180 for the machine and $20 for each .75-gallon refill bottle, FOAMO isn’t something you buy on a whim on a Tuesday. But considering that renting a foam machine for a party costs $250 to $1,000, it’s a far cheaper alternative. (It may not be as intense as the froth-shooting Foam Daddy, sure, but it will supply plenty of foam to entertain your pod for the day.) And given the cost of a trampoline, Power Wheels car and other backyard splurges, it’s not too bad.

One bottle of the solution lasted us a little over an hour, though we realized that we could easily get away with stopping the machine every 15 minutes or so and letting the kids play with the foam until it deflated, then starting it back up again, to extend its lifespan. FOAMO recommends following a 5:1 ratio of the water to the solution, but when we tried a seven or eight-to-one mix, we still had plenty of high-quality bubbles.

Another win for this gadget? I’m not running out of breath, blowing bubbles nonstop to entertain the kids. In fact, I can sit back with a glass of rosé and watch them enjoy making foam snowmen and smashing through bubble walls.

If you’re planning a birthday party or Fourth of July cookout with your family, it easily becomes the main event. You don’t need a bunch of other activities to keep everyone entertained.

This is the kind of surprise you bust out at a party that everyone talks about for months afterward. And may inspire you to start your own FOAMO rental service, because apparently there’s big money to be made in that field.