Sesame Workshop Shares New Resources and Activities to Help Parents and Kids Cope With Self-Isolation

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, is enlisting Elmo, Oscar the Grouch, and the rest of your favorite puppets to help parents and children cope with life at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

In addition to existing content from the show about health and wellness, the “Caring for Each Other” initiative will feature new material that covers topics like hand-washing, proper protocol for coughing or sneezing, and the relationship between taking good care of yourself and taking good care of others.

“Around the world, young children’s lives are being turned upside down, and parents and caregivers are looking for ways to give their children—and themselves—a sense of stability in this new normal,” Dr. Rosemarie Truglio, Sesame Workshop’s senior vice president for curriculum and content, said in a press release. “But there are things parents and caregivers can do to face each day with optimism. Sesame Street is here to provide the caring adults in children’s lives with the resources they need to help children, and foster their healthy development at home.”

On the “Caring for Each Other” landing site, there are documents to help parents navigate talking to their children about COVID-19, creating routines for “The For-Now Normal,” and more. There are also printable coloring pages with spot-the-difference images, step-by-step drawing instructions, and mazes.

The beloved Sesame Street characters appear often throughout the content, including in videos like “Elmo’s Virtual Hug” and the “Big Feelings” song. Plus, there’s a curated YouTube playlist of “Fun at Home Activities” with directions for DIY sock puppets and drums, “Monster Yoga” poses, and other Sesame Street clips.

You can explore the offerings here, and subscribe to the Sesame Street newsletter for updates.