Sesame Street Kicks Off Global Gift Of Giggles Campaign Supporting Children and Families’ Emotional Well-Being and Celebrating the Power of Smiles, Humor, and Laughter

(New York, NY, July 1, 2024) From Ernie’s playful snicker to Elmo’s iconic giggle, the Sesame Street friends have been the laughter experts for over 50 years. Today, on International Joke Day, Sesame Street kicks off its Gift of Giggles campaign (#GiftOfGiggles) to celebrate and share smiles, humor, and joy with fans around the world. The months-long campaign is part of Sesame Workshop’s ongoing initiative supporting emotional well-being and mental health awareness for young children and their families, with resources at sesame.org/mentalhealth.

“With its signature mix of laughter and learning, Sesame Street creates experiences that enrich minds and expand hearts around the world,” said Samantha Maltin, Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing and Brand Officer. “At a time when children need joy more than ever, the Gift of Giggles campaign will support their emotional well-being, with a healthy dose of laughter. Whether you’re learning about healthy habits, social-emotional skills, or the ABCs, humor can turn a simple moment into an unforgettable lesson.”

The Gift of Giggles campaign starts with a video of Elmo waiting to tell a joke to the first person passing by and it happens to be Felix, Sesame Street’s resident chicken. Elmo stops him to ask the oldest riddle in the world, “Why did the chicken cross the road?” Felix responds, “Huh? What are you talking about?” The pair go back and forth with Felix confused about the question. He finally gives up on the conversation and says, “You know, Elmo, this has been a lot of fun, but I’ve got to get to the other side.” Elmo excitedly says, “That’s it! He said it. Happy International Joke Day!”

As the campaign unfolds, hilarity ensues with:

• A new digital series called “The Giggle Group.” In these spots, Elmo & Tango, Cookie Monster, Abby, and more are paired with toddlers and children to highlight what makes them giggle. These sweet and silly videos are inspired by the classic unpredictable interviews through the years between a Sesame Street character and a child.

• A dedicated Gift of Giggles YouTube playlist featuring surprise collaborations with favorite YouTubers and celebrity friends. The playlist will house all-new and beloved content in one central location where the fun never ends.

• A summer comedy tour. You’ll never know where the Muppets of Sesame Street might pop up to show off their best jokes and standup skills that will have audiences in stitches.

• A new game on sesamestreet.org. Can you guess who’s giggling? In this sound matching game, it might be the familiar laughs of one of your smiley friends from the Street – like Elmo, Abby, Julia or even (Ah-ah-ah!) the Count – or possibly the happy cackles of a silly chicken. Players can choose from three levels of four, six or as many as eight gigglers, and apply listening skills to try and find the match to all the ha-has they hear. 

• New stories that encourage the joy of reading. The lift-the-flap board book Elmo’s Favorite Jokes and Riddles from Random House Books for Young Readers (on sale: 7/30/24), 100 Words from the Street: Words to Grow Smarter, Stronger, & Kinder from Sourcebooks Wonderland (on sale: 10/3/24), and Let’s Have Some Fun storytelling cards from Yoto (on sale: 3/6/25) create even more opportunities for laughter and learning.

Fans can expect to find more celebrity moments, streaming specials, digital content, live experiences, and new products in the coming months. Additionally, the Gift of Giggles campaign will roll out in markets around the world. Called ELMOcionado Ja Ja Ja (“Elmo is excited ha ha ha”) in Latin America and Kichern und Lachen mit der Sesamstrasse (“Giggle and Laugh with Sesame Street”) in Germany, with more to come, Sesame Street is celebrating the universal joy of laughter.

To learn more about Sesame Street’s Gift of Giggles and to access resources to help parents and caregivers provide emotional well-being support, visit sesame.org/mentalhealth.

About Sesame Workshop 
Sesame Workshop is the global impact nonprofit behind Sesame Street and so much more. For over 50 years, we have worked at the intersection of education, media, and research, creating joyful experiences that enrich minds and expand hearts, all in service of empowering each generation to build a better world. Our beloved characters, iconic shows, outreach in communities, and more bring playful early learning to families in more than 150 countries and advance our mission to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. Learn more at www.sesameworkshop.org and follow Sesame Workshop on Instagram, X, Facebook, and TikTok.