If you grew up in the 190s or 1990s, you are probably familiar with these stuffed plushes. We’re, of course, talking about the Glo Worm, a Hasbro’s Playskool toy that had a worm body and a light-up head. When you took this plush with you to sleep, you could squeeze its body, and the battery would activate the light. Then, a peaceful slumber was guaranteed!
The original Glo Worm plush toy was released in 1982, and it became an instant success (so much so that I remember having one whole growing up in Argentina – where toys were usually few and costly). The first version was the familiar green Glo Worm with the yellow head, but Hasbro saw the great numbers as the perfect opportunity to create more toys for the Glo Worm line.
In this article, I will share everything you need to know about Glo Worms, from how they were conceived to their rising popularity and the versions of the toy that followed us up to even this day! So, let’s get started, shall we?
Important: The Glo Worm toys page has all the toys in the original vintage line, as well as new retro editions.
The First Glo Worm Toys
The first ever Glo Worm plush was manufactured in Pawtucket, Rhode Island 🔗. The brand behind the successful toy was Hasbro, and the worm was designed by the Playskool division.
So, what animal is the Glo Worm supposed to represent? The agreement seems to be: A larva. Yep, you read that right. A larva in pajamas. Of course, glow worms are also an inspiration for this toy’s design, but they are not the cuddly green soft toy you might imagine. Glow worms are, in fact, beetles. They do have bioluminescent bodies, so Hasbro got that right. The purpose of the light? To attract mates. So, yeah, not the same thing!
The Original Vintage Glo Worm Plushes
Luckily, many kids who loved their Glo Worms have kept them in excellent condition, so it’s still possible to find playsets and toys today. Below, you will find the original vintage toys; you can click on them to read more about each and find a link to try and locate some of this merch second-hand. See all Glo Worm toys here >
Original 1980s Vintage Glo Worm Doll
The original vintage Glo Worm featured a soft, plush body and a light-up head that lit up when squeezed, providing comfort and a soothing glow for little ones at bedtime.
- The Original Hasbro Playskool Glo-Worm doll.
- The head lights up when squeezing the body.
- Soft and cuddly, like you remember it!
- Requires batteries to work.
Vintage Glo Worm Blue with Stars 1988
A variant of the vintage Glo Worm, released in the late 80s and featuring a lit-up head and blue clothes with pattern of colorful stars.
- Hasbro Playskool Glo-Worm doll.
- Clothes’ Pattern: Blue backround with colorful stars.
- The head lights up when squeezing the body.
- Requires batteries to work.
Vintage Glo Worm Pink with Stars 1988
A variant of the vintage Glo Worm, released in the late 80s and featuring a lit-up head and pink clothes with pattern of colorful stars.
- Hasbro Playskool Glo-Worm doll.
- Clothes’ Pattern: Blue backround with colorful stars.
- The head lights up when squeezing the body.
- Requires batteries to work.
Vintage Glo Worm With Nightshirt 1980s
An early variant of the vintage Glo Worm, released in the late 80s and featuring a lit-up head and nightshirt and nightcap with a stripey pattern.
- Hasbro Playskool Glo-Worm doll.
- Variant: Nightcap and nightgown.
- The head lights up when squeezing the body.
- Requires batteries to work.
Vintage Glo Worm White with Dots 1986
A variant of the vintage Glo Worm, released in 1986 and featuring a lit-up head and white clothes with a pattern of pastel dots.
- Hasbro Playskool Glo-Worm doll.
- Clothes’ Pattern: White backround with pastel dots.
- The head lights up when squeezing the body.
- Requires batteries to work.
Vintage Glo Worm Baby Blue Variant 1993
A 1993 variant of the vintage Glo Worm, featuring a head that lits up hugged and a simple baby-blue outfit and star-pattern nightcap.
- Hasbro Playskool Glo-Worm doll.
- Variant: Baby blue clothes and stars nightcap.
- The head lights up when squeezing the body.
- Requires batteries to work.
Vintage Glo Worm Yellow with Stars 1988
A variant of the vintage Glo Worm, released in the late 80s and featuring a lit-up head and yellow clothes with pattern of colorful stars.
- Hasbro Playskool Glo-Worm doll.
- Clothes’ Pattern: Blue backround with colorful stars.
- The head lights up when squeezing the body.
- Requires batteries to work.
Vintage Glo Worm Cloud Pattern 1980s
A Glo Worm variant of the vintage Glo Worm line, released in the late 80s and featuring a lit-up head and blue clothes with a pattern of clouds.
- Hasbro Playskool Glo-Worm doll.
- Variant with white cloud pattern.
- The head lights up when squeezing the body.
- Requires batteries to work.
Vintage Glo Worm Pale Pink Variant 1990s
A 1993 variant of the vintage Glo Worm, featuring a head that lits up hugged and a simple pale pink outfit and star-pattern nightcap.
- Hasbro Playskool Glo-Worm doll.
- Variant: Baby blue clothes and stars nightcap.
- The head lights up when squeezing the body.
- Requires batteries to work.
Vintage Glo Worm Parachute Fabric 1997
A variant of the vintage Glo Worm, released in 1997 and featuring a head that lits up when hugged and a yellow, blue, and pale green outfit made of parachute fabric.
- Hasbro Playskool Glo-Worm doll.
- Variant: Baby blue clothes and stars nightcap.
- The head lights up when squeezing the body.
- Requires batteries to work.
Glo-Worm Friends
The Glo Worm line didn’t only consist of fireflies, but Hasbro Playskool incorporated other insects that produced the same light-up effect. These were a couple of butterflies and a bumble bee.
Vintage Glo Worm Friends: Butterfly 1980s
A variant of the vintage Glo Worm, released in the 198os and featuring a lit-up head and colorful plush wings with pink, blue, and green details.
- Hasbro Playskool Glo-Worm doll.
- Variant: Butterfly, has wings!
- The head lights up when squeezing the body.
- Requires batteries to work.
Vintage Glo Worm – Glo Friend 1980s
A Glo Friend of the vintage Glo Worm line, released in the late 80s and featuring a lit-up head and colorful clothes with a striped pattern.
- Hasbro Playskool Glo-Worm doll.
- Bug Friend variant, sripped clothes.
- The head lights up when squeezing the body.
- Requires batteries to work.
Glo Worm Friends: Globaby Glow Baby 1980s
A Glo Worm “variant” of the vintage Glo Worm line, released in the late 80s and featuring a lit-up head and a human girl.
- Hasbro Playskool Glo-Worm doll.
- Rare human (non-bug!) variant.
- The head lights up when squeezing the body.
- Requires batteries to work.
Glo Worm Friends: Bumble Bee Plush 1980s
A variant of the vintage Glo Worm, released in the 198os and featuring a lit-up head and the body of a bumble bee.
- Hasbro Playskool Glo-Worm doll.
- Variant: Bumble Bee.
- The head lights up when squeezing the body.
- Requires batteries to work.
Find Second-Hand Glo Worms
Hasbro's Glo Worm Line and Related Toys
Hasbro and Playskool quickly saw that Glo Worm had the potential to boost the company, so they immediately jumped at the chance to expand the line. The toy that followed the original worm was the Musical Glo Worm, which included various merchandise such as night lights, storybooks, videos, and other products. These actually continued well into the 1990s.
In 1986, several other items were created and sold by Hasbro and Playskool. These were typically called “Glo-” something and were usually made of vinyl. Most of them, however, did not glow like the original worm. The toys received the name Glo Friends, and were made popular in particular because they were distributed by the fast-food chain Wendy through the late 1980s.
In 1989, Wendy also released 13 soft vinyl Glo Worm toys (they were Glo Snugbug, Glo Cricket, Glo Snail, Glo Butterfly, Glo Grannybug, Glo Clutterbug, Glo Doodlebug, Glo Bug, Glo Bashfulbug, Glo Skunkbug, Glo Bookbug, Glo Bopbug, Glo worm, and Glo Nikkibug). There were also a few other characters, including the Glo Turtle which was a case you could use to carry your toys.
When Did Hasbro Stop Selling Glo Worms?
Unfortunately, Hasbro had to stop the production of the Glo Worm and the Music Glo Worm line in 2005. The reason was that the products were seen then as potentially harming children. In particular, because the head vinyl contained something called phthalates, or phthalate esters. This is a plasticizer that can be dangerous if ingested. Hence, the toy line as we knew it originally was discontinued.
