Glo-Up

It's the gloomiest time of year. Christmas is but a memory. It's still pitch dark outside when you get up, and there isn't even the consolation of Quality Street for breakfast. Was it like this when you were a kid? Probably. But something was different. Something got you through those dark days. And worry not - Daydream Bubbles has worked out what's missing from your adulthood!

This guy.

Glo Worm: The OG glo-G

Look at him. The sweet, placid face of everything being OK. Sure we have lights now. But can you cuddle your bedside lamp? I guess you could, but it would be very disappointing and it wouldn't even light up in response. You might even get electrocuted. Don't hug lamps.

The 80s and 90s were full of things that lit up or glowed in the dark. In fact, in any given toy line, chances were they'd eventually fall back on glow-in-the-dark as a gimmick. And we wanted it all. Today's post is dedicated to the lights of our childhood lives.

Glo Friends

Where could we start but with Glo Friends? Unlike other lines, which branched out into glow-in-the-dark, glowing was the Glo Friends' whole deal. They had one job, and they did it well. They shone from 1982, when the first toys went out, till 1995, when the last show was broadcast alongside My Little Pony.

The cuddly Glo Worm was the enduring star of the line. He was recently reproduced in miniature for the nostalgic 'World's Smallest' collection, alongside such behemoths as the Etch a Sketch and the Fisher Price Chatterbox Phone.

But Glo Worm was not the only character in the line, and the cuddly Glo Worm was not the only toy. A string of small plastic toys were released, as well as a few other cuddlies.

Man, I wanted this turtle.

Sorry for calling you Glo Worm throughout my childhood, Glo Bug.

Then there was the merch. The annuals, books, lunchboxes, jigsaw puzzles, bedclothes...I googled 'Glo Friends board game', just knowing that such a thing must exist. Of course it does. With glow-in-the-dark pieces, no less!

And of course, let's not forget the adorable TV series.

Glow 'n' Show Ponies

If ever a toy line was going to jump on the glow-in-the-dark bandwagon, it was one based on magical unicorns. And earth ponies. And pegasus. The 'Glow 'n' Show' line from 1990 featured ponies with translucent bodies filled with glowy confetti. Naturally.

This is what angels look like.

Ethereal.

Super Scary Monster in My Pocket

You know what's super scary? Things that glow in the dark, according to Monster in My Pocket. Their 'Super Scary' line featured 'rare 100-point glow-in-the-dark monsters'.

Not THAT scary, but super cool.

And their Super Scary Howlers even had 'eerie light-up eyes'!

And 'scary monstrous sounds'!

Dream Glow Barbie

I was never much of a fan of Barbie, or of fashion dolls in general. I used to parade them around humiliatingly in My Little Pony clothes. I was a strange child.

But a retrospective of glowy things from the 80s and 90s (of which this might be the only one) wouldn't be complete without Dream Glow Barbie. She was one of the most iconic Barbie dolls of the era, and she was camp AF. Here she is with her equally fabulous partner, Dream Glow Ken.

Gone with the Wind...IN SPACE!

Stickers!

Stickers were BIG in the 80s and 90s. I mean, REALLY BIG. And what's cooler than stickers? Stickers with a gimmick. The golden age of the sticker saw them going puffy, holographic, scented, lenticular, fuzzy, googly-eyed and, of course, glow-in-the-dark.

Banwagon Jumpers

Not all glowy bois are destined to stand the test of time. Perhaps you remember some of these lesser light-up lovelies.

There's nothing obscure about He-Man, but did you know they brought out a glowing figurine?

What about a glow-in-the-dark Boglin?

Or how about Glo Worm wannabe Disney dolls? This Huglight Mickey is currently available to buy at my Etsy store!

Snuggly!

Whether you're hugging your Glo Worm or storming Snake Mountain with a rather pale looking He-Man, I hope you find a way to light your way through the dark days of January.