Teaching Social Problem-Solving is More Important than Ever.

New Research Shows that Sesame Street Can Help.

By Dr. Rosemarie Truglio, Sesame Workshop’s SVP of Global Education

If you’ve ever seen your child topple a sibling’s block tower or grab a toy out of another child’s hands, you’re not alone. Every parent wants to see their child share, build friendships, and play well with others…but that’s sometimes a big ask for little ones.

The truth is, social problem-solving is complex (even for us adults)! For preschoolers, it’s even harder. That’s because children are wired to be self-centered. This is a natural stage of their development: they’re learning who they are and what they want—and often, their feelings about their wants and needs are big, immediate, and overwhelming. Without words or strategies to express those feelings, children often resort to physical reactions.

That’s why these are some of the most important things we can do for young children:

Tune in and listen to what they’re feeling

Give them language for their emotions

Practice strategies for expressing big feelings

With our support, children can reach for words, instead of reacting physically, when a big feeling arises. And once children can do that, they can begin to notice how others feel, too. This is the foundation of cooperative play and real problem-solving.

At Sesame, we know this foundation is so important for young children. We’ve been focusing on teaching these skills for years, and new research shows it’s working.

After watching Sesame Street Season 55, children showed:

Improved independent and cooperative play

Better sharing skills

A decrease in unprovoked aggression

In other words, when children saw our characters talk about and manage big feelings, they brought those skills into their own play.

Sesame Street Season 56, which recently launched on Netflix and PBS KIDS, builds on this foundation by modeling how children can take on others’ perspectives in everyday social situations. As distrust, isolation, and polarization increase in today’s world, these skills are more important than ever—not just so that children can build block towers together today, but also so they are prepared to build social bridges in the future.

As you help your children grow into kind and caring people, Sesame Street is here with content proven to help. Our Season 56 Watch and Play activities are a great place to start: