Sweepin' the Clouds Away

Despite my personal disdain for Elmo, I decided to look into the website of my favorite educational show from my childhood, Sesame Street. Much to my delight the little red monster did not seem to dominate the site. What I did find was a plethora of materials for use in a preschool classroom. There were games, an art maker, videos, and a playlist feature to look up videos by subject. The videos include many classics from my childhood as well as many newer clips on a wide variety of topics, from the learning the alphabet to tying one’s shoes.

However, I chose to focus on the games. The games are sorted by the featured character first and then by subject. They cover similar topics as the video clips and quite easy to use. The interface, narrated by our favorite Muppets, guides the players through the steps. The activities are animated and feature familiar characters, voiced by the familiar actors who portray them on the television show. The characters are humorous and helpful. When the player makes a mistake, the Muppet in question gently informs them that they have made an incorrect selection and helps guide them to the right answer without telling them outright.

Many of the games get more advanced as they progress. For instance, Grover’s Winter Games, a color match activity, begins by asking players to find the blue flag when they see the blue boots and the yellow flag when they are presented the yellow scarf. Then after the first round they change the rules, asking the players to find the blue flag with the yellow scarf. Finally, it allows the player to select their favorite color and then identify that flag among a variety of different colors.

The video selection is numerous and many of the games are able to be played with a group. This site would be a valuable resource for any preschool classroom. Even into the digital age Sesame Street manages to keep learning both fun and funny.