Watch and Play: Elmo Runs the Race
Watch this episode and explore ways to extend the learning at home.
In the Sesame Street episode Elmo Runs the Race (available now on Netflix and PBSKIDS), Elmo is so excited to join The Sesame Street Races that he rushes off without taking the time to eat a healthy lunch. While running he notices that he’s tired and his tummy is rumbling. He feels annoyed and thinks he’s never going to win the race and wants to quit. Fortunately, Cookie Monster and Alan help Elmo realize that he didn’t eat his lunch and his body needs healthy food to give him energy. Elmo eats his sandwich, feels better and is ready to race!
Preschoolers naturally love to play: running, building, jumping, and pretending.
Engaging in play supports all aspects of child development because children learn by exploring their environment. Play is intrinsically fun for preschoolers—it is, after all, how they make sense of the world around them.
However, just like Elmo, some children are more interested in playing than eating. In the same way Elmo ignored body signals some children miss important body cues that indicate how their mood and energy is connected to the foods they eat. It’s important to help your little one notice how their body feels when they’re hungry.
- Does their tummy rumble?
- Do they feel tired?
- Does their throat feel dry?
Providing your little one with the vocabulary and language to identify these body signals helps them better understand the mind-body connection between healthy eating and having energy to play and feel good.
Help your little one feel their best by celebrating when they notice and respond to body signals. Talk about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables (a rainbow of colors), the difference between sometime foods (foods we enjoy once in awhile) and anytime foods (foods we can eat every day), and how nutritious foods give our bodies the fuel or energy to do all the things we love most. Check out the resources below to help your child practice healthy eating.
Watch and Play Together Activities
Grow Your Colors
Grow healthy, colorful foods with Grover and Rosita.
Anytime & Sometimes Foods
Not all food is the same. Some food provides benefits, and some are made for fun. Explain to kids the difference between “anytime” and “sometimes” foods.
Eating Colorful Fruits & Veggies
Encourage children to eat many different colored foods, just like Rosita!
Find this episode on Netflix, PBS Kids or Nationwide Public Television (Check local listings).
To Like or Not to Like
Like most children, Cookie Monster’s niece is a little… choosy. Check out his strategy for helping her try a new food!
Choosy Eating
Children can help Cookie Monster try healthy foods.
Toddler Tips: Choosy Eaters
Food Insecurity
Health and well-being are rights for all children, but food insecurity affects many families.
Growing Healthy Bodies and Minds with Sesame Street
In this webinar, Sesame Workshop’s Kama Einhorn, Director of Content Design, and Dr. Jennifer Shu, Medical Editor of HealthyChildren.org discuss the importance of healthy habits for young children and families.
A Conversation on Healthy Habits
In this webinar, Sesame Workshop’s Kama Einhorn, Director of Content Design, and Dr. Glenn Flores, Chair of Pediatrics and Senior Associate Dean of Child Health at the University of Miami, discuss the importance of healthy habits for young children and families.
