Watch, Play, Learn Early Learning Videos:
A Practitioner’s Toolkit
Bringing playful early learning to emergency contexts
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.
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.
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.
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
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).
Remote ECD Services Case Study: Semillas de Apego Colombia
Remote ECD Services Case Study: Welcome Sesame Ukraine
Findings from the Global Process Evaluation of Watch, Play, Learn Pilots in Bangladesh, Colombia and Kenya
Formative Research Adaptations and Innovations
Case studies in developing global early learning video content during COVID-19
Check out our library of free, multi-language resources designed to support children and families after a crisis or high stress event.
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