19 Mar 2015 Website of the month: sesamestreet.org
by Brittany Gilbert
When you visit sesamestreet.org, you will find many resources for your family to use. One really neat resource found on the site is the 20 Tool Kits that focus on important topics that families face.
The Sesame Street website states, “Have you ever wished that your child came with an instruction manual? Sesame Street Tool Kits are the next best things. They provide opportunities to build closeness and confidence, make learning fun and keep your child’s world safe and secure.”
Two important Tool Kits that I would like to highlight are Healthy Habits for Life and Food for Thought. Both are topics important for every family and also might be difficult to teach without the help of some of your children’s favorite characters.
For each topic, there are several videos featuring characters like Elmo and Cookie Monster. If your child is anything like mine, they will want to watch these videos repeatedly until they have them memorized. There are also games such as Family Food, where your child can help Little Bear and Mama Bear make a healthy soup. They also share recipes that you can try at home. I love that there are several videos and several games to choose from. You won’t be easily bored.
In the Healthy Habits for Life Tool Kit, First Lady Michelle Obama is featured in videos with Big Bird and Elmo. This can create a conversation about how important these topics are, not just in your home but also in other homes all around the world. There are also tips provided. For example, the website recommends “making reading active by taking cues from stories. Is a character running? You and your child can run in place. Are children in the story dancing? You can dance along, too.”
Along with fun videos and games are also useful resources for both caregivers and providers. If you need help teaching your child about one of these topics, these strategies are meant to provide support and are designed with a number of family situations in mind. If you want healthy meals on a budget, they have a video that explains ways to be creative and save money.
Brittany Gilbert is a former FACS teacher at Maumelle High School. She and her husband, Levi, have two sons and live in Conway. Brittany can be reached at [email protected].
