From the Toysit archive
GUND Snuffles
Discover GUND Snuffles’ rounded body, curved tummy and upward-looking face, with museum-sourced design history and an original night-sky story activity.
The play at a glance
A bear already looking toward a story
Snuffles sits with rounded haunches, open arms and a face tilted toward the sky. The small original photograph shows a cream-white bear whose body curves gently beneath its head. That upward glance suggests a question for a storyteller: what has caught the bear’s attention?
A shape made for an embrace
Snuffles has a compact, rounded silhouette. The shoulders slope down toward the arms, the tummy curves inward and the feet sit forward beneath the body. The head tilts back, giving the bear a gaze that meets someone leaning over it or holding it close.
The original Toysit account dwells on that shape, describing the white coat, soft filling and open arms. Its appeal is easy to picture: a small bear resting in a lap, perched beside a storybook or waiting with its face turned toward the person who picks it up.
The crescent-moon idea
The Strong National Museum of Play traces Snuffles to GUND designer Rita Swedlin Raiffe. In 1980, she drew inspiration from a crescent moon and designed a bear looking upward at it. The museum illustrates its account with a Snuffles dated 1981 from its collection.
That history gives the bear’s curved outline an especially clear image to hold in mind. Look from the seated body toward the raised face: the shape and gaze work together. A small change in the usual teddy-bear pose gives Snuffles a recognizable character.
Choose what the bear can see
Imagine Snuffles watching the first star of the evening. Perhaps another toy notices the same light and comes to sit nearby. Together, they could invent names for the stars or wonder what a cloud looks like as it passes across their make-believe sky.
The setting can change while the bear keeps the same pose. A paper butterfly above a drawn garden suggests a daytime adventure; a picture of a balloon suggests a celebration. The player supplies the object of the bear’s attention and the reason it matters.
Draw the view above Snuffles
- Draw a small bear near the bottom of a sheet, with its face looking up.
- Fill the space above it with a moon, stars or something wonderfully unexpected.
- Tell a three-sentence adventure: what the bear sees, what it imagines and what happens next.
- Invite a second character into the picture and give it a different idea about the view.
This original activity works with Snuffles, another plush bear or a drawing alone. Turn the page sideways for a new horizon, or save several pictures as a little book of places the bear has visited in your stories.
The historical record
Original Toysit coverage
The original description of an 11-inch Snuffles and the later polar-bear paragraph are preserved as historical coverage.
Lovable white plush bear.
It's easy to see why Gund dubbed Snuffles its quintessential bear. He sits on rounded haunches with his shoulders sloped and his head tilted expectantly skyward, beckoning you to pick him up. Once he's in your hands, Snuffle's satiny white fur, soft insides, open arms, and concave tummy invite a heart-felt embrace. His felt-covered nose adds a touch of elegance. A Gund classic since 1981, this 11-inch Snuffles is a great value among lovable bears. He's filled with polyester fiber and is surface washable.
The bear species known for its white fur is the Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus). Native to the Arctic regions, these bears are well-adapted to cold climates and are excellent swimmers. Their white fur serves as camouflage against the snow and ice, allowing them to stalk seals, which are their primary source of food. The coloration also helps to insulate them from the harsh conditions of their environment. It's important to note that the polar bear's fur is not truly "white"; each hair is actually transparent and hollow, reflecting and scattering light in a way that makes the fur appear white to the human eye.
Sources and editorial notes
The Strong National Museum of Play supplies the design history below. Toysit’s original account describes a particular 11-inch bear; its size, filling and care claims belong to that archived version. For an existing bear, follow its sewn-in care label. The sky story is an original editorial activity. This profile uses documents and photographs, with no physical testing.
- The Strong: Women’s History Month—five women in toys and dolls — Museum account of Rita Swedlin Raiffe’s Snuffles design, including a 1981 collection example and a 2004 GUND catalog reference.
Images and descriptions are retained as historical material. How Toysit covers toys.
Created for Toysit by Tabbloza — the artwork in our header.