 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Sesame Street
- PBS
- Genre: Educational
Common Sense Media says
Come and play on everyone's favorite street.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
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.
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?
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- Parents
- Teens & kids
Kid, 9 years old
April 16, 2011
AGE
APPROPIATE FOR ALL AGES! :)
Its so cute! Great for young young kids! They'd love it!
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Kid, 11 years old
April 23, 2011
AGE
LOVE IT ALOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM A TWEEN AND I STILL LIKE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Kid, 11 years old
December 22, 2010
AGE
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.
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Teen, 14 years old
May 21, 2011
AGE
Best tv show
My favorite show when I was a toddler and Elmo is my favorite character
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Parent of 2 year old
November 8, 2010
AGE
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.
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Teen, 13 years old
July 21, 2009
AGE
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.
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Teen, 13 years old
November 3, 2010
AGE
I like the Count.
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Parent
May 31, 2011
AGE
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.
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Kid, 10 years old
February 12, 2011
AGE
Vet cute and funny
Very good educatiol show! But in one episode Alan (the shop owner) was smoking a cigar!
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Parent of 2, 10, 14, and 17 year old
December 21, 2010
AGE
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.
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| Topics: | arts and dance, friendship, music and sing-along, numbers and letters, puppets |
| TV rating: | TV-Y |
| Network: | PBS |
| Cast: | Carroll Spinney, Frank Oz, Kevin Clash |
| Genre: | Educational |
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