Sesame Street

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Come and play on everyone's favorite street.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this classic educational series sometimes deals with strong emotions -- such as missing a friend, suffering from low self-esteem, and being worried about a new sibling's arrival -- but the messages for kids are always positive and self-affirming. The Muppet characters are sometimes slightly irreverent, but that tiny bit of edge is what makes the show fun for older viewers to watch, and it never gets in the way of preschoolers' learning or enjoyment. And, of course, there's the show's superb educational content, which supports early skills in literacy, math, and science and exposes kids to a variety of cultures through music, dance, and language.

  • The show introduces and reinforces early literacy and math skills like letter and number recognition, phonics, counting, and basic addition and subtraction. In recent years, curriculum has expanded to include lessons about healthy lifestyles, science, geography, and conservation.
  • Consistently positive, affirming messages for kids that encourage them to feel good about themselves, their friends and family members, and what they're learning.
  • The diverse human cast and wide variety of Muppet characters includes a wide range of skills, talents, and personalities. Kids and adults with disabilities are often featured prominently as part of the spectrum.
  • Not applicable.

What's the story?

SESAME STREET is a groundbreaking preschool series that introduces and reinforces early educational skills like letter sounds, numbers, colors, and patterns and encourages kids' curiosity about the world around them. The series is set in an urban neighborhood where longtime Muppet characters like The Count, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, and Oscar the Grouch live alongside their people pals like Maria, Bob, and Gordon. Recurring segments in each episode center on letters and numbers of the day, phonics skills, and interpersonal relationships. The show's ever-evolving curriculum also instructs kids on other issues like healthy eating and caring for the Earth, topics that are blended into the format through a range of engaging music, dance, and cultural segments.


Is it any good?

 

Still going strong after several decades, Sesame Street continues to set the gold standard for preschool media by incorporating early educational and social-emotional skills into a wholly entertaining show. Created by educators, the show capitalizes on kids' natural love of learning and celebrates diversity by exploring different cultures and incorporating both Muppet and flesh-and-blood characters of all ages, colors, races, and physical abilities.

Parents who grew up with the classic Sesame style might find some of the show's more recent changes a little surprising -- including a revamped theme song, multiple visual styles, and even segments that alter the appearance of longtime characters (claymation versions of Ernie and Bert, for instance). One noticeable shift is in the show's recent move toward audience interactivity, which allows kids to predict what's coming next. While not as reliant upon repetition as Blue's Clues, this change to Sesame Street's format means fewer of the funny, slightly irreverent Muppet segments that made even big kids laugh. But overall there are enough old-school ties to ensure that parents won't get bored when they tune in with their kids.


Explore, discuss, enjoy

  • Families can talk about the topics that each episode tackles. What did you learn about numbers and letters today? Watching with your kids will give you many creative play ideas -- try carrying a theme from the show into activities when the TV shuts off.

  • Kids: How do the show's different styles and stories help you understand the featured topics? Do the songs help you remember some of what they're trying to teach?

  • In what ways does the show reflect American culture? How do the characters represent their cultural heritages? How do the show's music, dance, and language teach you about the world's diversity?


This review of Sesame Street was written by
Kid, 9 years old
April 16, 2011
 
APPROPIATE FOR ALL AGES! :)
Its so cute! Great for young young kids! They'd love it!
What other families should know:

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 11 years old
April 23, 2011
 
LOVE IT ALOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM A TWEEN AND I STILL LIKE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What other families should know:

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 11 years old
December 22, 2010
 
I used to LOVE "Street". Elmo was my favorite. But there a couple of things on the "edgy" side. The Yip-Yip martians used to scare the heck out of me, there were lots of pop culture references, and mild girly stuff.
What other families should know:

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 14 years old
May 21, 2011
 
Best tv show
My favorite show when I was a toddler and Elmo is my favorite character
What other families should know:

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 2 year old
November 8, 2010
 
The Street Has Changed
What happened to this show? We rented some of the older episodes from the 1970s to watch with our 2-year-old. They were sweet, peaceful, funny and educational. So we thought we'd tune into the new ones and...wow, things have changed. The show is a lot more hyperactive and abrasive. There's a lot less focus on teaching letters and numbers, and a lot on teaching science and conservation, which seemed a bit beyond the show's younger demographic. Tons of celebrity cameos. Yesterdays bits with Ray Charles and classical musicians and jazz legends has given way to the kind of processed pop music you find all over the radio. I thought Sesame Street was supposed to be an alternative to mainstream commercial children's entertainment, but it seems like nowadays it just wants in the game.
What other families should know:

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 13 years old
July 21, 2009
 
GREAT FOR TEACHING KIDS ABCS AND MATH!
I'm a teenager, and I LOVE this show. And this is coming from a guy that watches Ren and Stimpy. Education: Teaches kids the alphabet, and how to count. Positive messages: Messages of tolerance are frequent, especially with Bert and Ernie, which teach kids that there's nothing wrong with being gay, which is important in our homophobic world. Sexual: No problems, unless you're a homophobe.
What other families should know:

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 13 years old
November 3, 2010
 
I like the Count.
What other families should know:

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent
May 31, 2011
 
Elmo's world skit a disappointment
I have watched multiple episodes of recent episodes of Sesame Street with my 3 year old and 1 year old. I grew up watching this television show and only have fond memories of it. One skit in particular really bothers me about the show, enough so that I will not let my kids watch the show because of it. It's the skit feature, Mr. Noodle, or "Nuno" on Elmo's world. The adults are portrayed as complete idiots who can't understand simple instructions. It is not funny as it is intended to be, it's insulting and teaches kids to view adults as idiots. We have a problem in this society that kids think they know more than adults...lets not encourage it through educational shows like Sesame Street. If children are to value education, they should be taught to at least respect and recognize that most adults can teach them instead of the other way around. VERY disappointed.

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 10 years old
February 12, 2011
 
Vet cute and funny
Very good educatiol show! But in one episode Alan (the shop owner) was smoking a cigar!
What other families should know:

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 2, 10, 14, and 17 year old
December 21, 2010
 
A wonderful, clever show that not just little kids will love.
Me and my kids all grew up with Sesame Street. When I retire, I hope Sesame Street's still on, so I can watch it daily. It's not just for little kids either. There are plenty of funny jokes for adults. A must-see for any toddler who gets PBS.
What other families should know:

Flag as inappropriate 

This review of Sesame Street was written by
This review of Sesame Street was written by
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.

Video review


Learning Products Quick Finder