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Basma, Jad, Cookie Monster, Zoe, Elmo and Ameera.

Watch, Play, Learn Early Learning Videos:
A Practitioner’s Toolkit

Bringing playful early learning to emergency contexts

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  • Watch, Play, Learn Early Learning Videos:
    A Practitioner’s Toolkit

Over 120 million people are displaced globally, and 1 in 6 children are growing up in conflict, pointing to an urgent need for innovative solutions so that all children can grow, learn, and thrive. Educational media offers a way to bring quality early learning to children at scale, through television or radio, online, or directly through local partners around the world.

العربية (Arabic)

That’s why Sesame Workshop created a first-of-its-kind library of globally tested educational videos for children– Watch, Play, Learn: Early Learning Videos and the Watch, Play, Learn Toolkit– designed to bring play-based learning to children everywhere, with particular attention to the unique needs and experiences of children affected by crises such as conflict and displacement.

The Watch, Play, Learn Toolkit is a comprehensive set of resources and tools for practitioners to support effective integration of Watch, Play, Learn videos by partners. The full Toolkit is available through funded partnership with Sesame Workshop.

Watch, Play, Learn: Early Learning Videos

Created as part of the Play to Learn project funded by the LEGO Foundation, Watch, Play, Learn videos feature beloved Sesame friends like Elmo and Cookie Monster and promote math, science, and social-emotional skills as well as health and safety through a set of 140 five-minute animated video segments designed for children ages 3-8. To learn more about why media matters in crisis and conflict settings, check out our Value of Media page.

Basma, Elmo and Zoe.
Featured Video
Introducing Watch, Play, Learn: Early Learning Videos

Watch, Play, Learn Toolkit 

The Toolkit provides practitioners from different sectors a holistic package of cohesive, user-friendly and adaptable resources that support play-based learning for early childhood education. The Toolkit provides educational tools for teachers and facilitators to integrate Watch, Play, Learn videos into their programs, providing engaging, research-based multimedia content that can fill gaps in the curriculum and enhance the quality of their programs. The Toolkit includes facilitator guidance and session plans tailored to the Watch, Play, Learn videos, and guidance and tools for key steps of program planning and implementation, such as integrating media and technology, contextualization and integration, monitoring and evaluation and more.  

Take a Look Inside the Toolkit

Sesame Workshop created the Watch, Play, Learn Videos and Toolkit using a research-driven process, building on the evidence and implementation learning of Play to Learn and Watch, Play, Learn pilots. Check out a selection of sample resources from the Toolkit below.

Watch Play Learn Toolkit Overview
  • Watch Play Learn Toolkit Overview
  • Social Emotional Learning Session Plan
  • Math Session Plan
  • Science Session Plan
  • Child Protection, Health and Safety Session Plan
  • Facilitator Guidance: Gender, Equity and Social Inclusion Excerpt
  • Technology Guidance Excerpt
  • Standard Operating Procedure Excerpt (Roles and Responsibilities)
  • Contextualizing Watch, Play, Learn Excerpt
Watch Play Learn overview.

Watch Play Learn Toolkit Overview

Social Emotional Learning Session Plan

Social Emotional Learning Session Plan

Math Session Plan

Math Session Plan

Science Session Plan

Science Session Plan

Child Protection, Health and Safety Session Plan

Child Protection, Health and Safety Session Plan

Facilitator Guidelines for Using Multi-media to Advance Disability Inclusion from the Watch, Play, Learn Toolkit

Facilitator Guidance: Gender, Equity and Social Inclusion Excerpt

Watch Play Learn Technology Guidance Excerpt.

Technology Guidance Excerpt

Watch Play Learn Standard Operating Procedure Excerpt (Roles and Responsibilities).

Standard Operating Procedure Excerpt (Roles and Responsibilities)

Contextualizing Watch, Play, Learn Excerpt.

Contextualizing Watch, Play, Learn Excerpt

Public Resources for Facilitators

The Social Emotional Learning Sample Session Booklet is a freely available public resource that practitioners can use to integrate Watch, Play, Learn videos on social emotional learning into their programs. This resource is available in English, Arabic, Bangla and Spanish and is excerpted from the full Watch, Play, Learn Toolkit.

English

Social Emotional Learning Sample Session Booklet – English

Social Emotional Learning Sample Session Booklet – English

Emotion Flashcards – English

Emotion Flashcards – English

Arabic

Social Emotional Learning Sample Session Booklet – Arabic

Social Emotional Learning Sample Session Booklet – Arabic

Emotion Flashcards – Arabic

Emotion Flashcards – Arabic

Bangla

Social Emotional Learning Sample Session Booklet – Bangla

Social Emotional Learning Sample Session Booklet – Bangla

Emotion Flashcards – Bangla

Emotion Flashcards – Bangla

Spanish

Social Emotional Learning Sample Session Booklet – Spanish

Social Emotional Learning Sample Session Booklet – Spanish

Emotion Flashcards – Spanish

Emotion Flashcards – Spanish

Watch, Play, Learn Research and Insights

Discover insights from our research and learnings on the integration and use of Watch, Play, Learn videos across multiple sectors, including education, child protection and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS).

Media Enhanced Direct Services doc

Media-Enhanced Direct Services

Case Study Remote ECD Services in Colombia

Remote ECD Services Case Study: Semillas de Apego Colombia

Case Study Remote-ECD Services in Ukraine.

Remote ECD Services Case Study: Welcome Sesame Ukraine

Basma and child coloring together.

Findings from the Global Process Evaluation of Watch, Play, Learn Pilots in Bangladesh, Colombia and Kenya

Formative Research Adaptations and Innovations

Formative Research Adaptations and Innovations

Case studies in developing global early learning video content during COVID-19

Looking for Resources Immediately to Help Children and Families After a Crisis?

Check out our library of free, multi-language resources designed to support children and families after a crisis or high stress event.

Grover and a family.

Crisis and Conflict

Chamki playing on a tablet with children.

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