Sesame Workshop, the global impact nonprofit behind Sesame Street, today announced a variety of multimedia offerings and free resources, deepening their multi-year commitment to the emotional well-being of children and their families. Focusing on emotional literacy and the connection between mind and body, new videos, articles, digital interactive games, and digital storybooks share different ways children and families can take care of their feelings and overall health.
“More than ever, young children need a strong foundation and support system to help them manage their big feelings and bolster their emotional well-being,” said Sesame Workshop president Sherrie Westin. “By addressing children’s unique needs and supporting the caring adults in their lives, we can connect minds, bodies, and hearts.”
The new emotional literacy resources, available in English and Spanish, include four videos featuring favourite Sesame Street friends:
- The sing-along, My Body, My Brain, celebrates the mind-body connection because when children take care of their bodies through movement, nutrition, and rest, they take care of their minds as well.
- In Feelings Detective, Elmo and Gabrielle play a game that helps children not only notice but understand their feelings and those of others as well.
- In Heart to Heart, Wes and his dad, Elijah, share a moment of connection.
- Learn along with Abby and Alan, one of the many ways we can take care of our big feelings, in Butterfly Breathing with Abby. It works for grown-ups too!
The resources also include printables; articles; a digital interactive game, I Notice, I Feel, I Can; and a new digital storybook, Feelings, Feelings, Everywhere, which explains how everyone has different feelings at different times for different reasons, and that it’s okay for us to explore them.
“Emotional literacy is vital for children to navigate the complexities of their emotions and relationships,” said Sesame Workshop U.S. Social Impact Ed.D., senior vice president Jeanette Betancourt. “By equipping parents and caregivers with resources in a variety of formats that are easy to apply in everyday moments, we can ensure children have the most integrated experiences to learn these foundational skills.”
In addition to these resources, the new Mindfulness Moments series kicks off today with actress Kat Graham and Big Bird. Favourite celebs like Cristo Fernandez, Eugene Cordero, and Quinta Brunson will also stop by Sesame Street to share key mindfulness techniques. From belly breathing to yoga poses, our furry friends learn all the ways to support their emotional well-being.
Elmo, Tango, and Gabrielle joined Broadway stars Lorna Courtney and Betsy Wolfe from the cast of & Juliet for a fun sing-along of Katy Perry’s Roar, one of the show-stopping numbers from the musical. The Sesame Street gang was feeling nervous about singing, so with help from their new friends, they practised a Lion’s Roar breath to calm their nerves.
Sesame Workshop teamed up with Dr. Laurie Santos for a special three-episode series on The Happiness Lab podcast, focusing on concrete strategies that parents and families can use in support of their emotional wellness and happiness. With help from Abby Cadabby, Big Bird, and Grover, and songs from Sesame Street, Dr. Santos explores why it’s never too early, or too late, to improve your emotional well-being.
The Goodnight, World! Podcast also returns for a new season with Headspace, available in the Headspace app and in March, wherever you get your podcasts. A rotating cast of Sesame Street friends help little ones unwind during their bedtime routines and restful moments.
Warner Music Group’s Arts Music division has also released a new instrumental album, Soothe, Snuggle and Slowdown, to help children find moments of calm for their bodies and minds.
Lerner Publishing Group has released four new books in their Sesame Street Character Guides series, focusing on character traits and social and emotional well-being: Being Thankful with Gabrielle: A Book about Gratitude; Counting Breaths with the Count: A Book about Mindfulness; Do Your Part with Grover: A Book about Responsibility; and You Rock with Ji-Young: A Book about Self-Confidence.
With a goal of reaching even more children, Sesame Workshop has partnered with DiCapta to increase the accessibility of Sesame Workshop’s emotional well-being content for children with disabilities.
Descriptive audio of The Feelings Garden, Me & My Grown-Up, and Notice, I Feel, I Can are now available through funding from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE).
Leadership support for new emotional literacy resources has been provided by the Joan Ganz Cooney Fund for Vulnerable Children and United Healthcare. Generous support has also been provided by Kohl’s and Kenneth Cole. For more great content, check out the new season of Sesame Street on MAX, launching 9 November.