A Little Help From My Furry Friends

Invite kids to choose a Muppet to help them, and watch what he or she does in the video. Kids can watch the video several times. After watching the video—or anytime at all—help kids use that general strategy in their own lives. For instance:

• Count: “Elmo likes counting. Let’s count to ten together. Now let’s count backward! Can you take one deep breath for each number?”
• Imagine: “Let’s imagine, like Bert. Where would you like to be right now? Let’s close our eyes and imagine it. What do you see?”
• Hug: “Rosita loves hugs. Can I give you a big hug?”
• Move: “Grover likes to move around to take a break from his feelings sometimes. Let’s wiggle our fingers a little. Now our heads…and arms…and now our whole bodies!”
• Listen: “Zoe listens carefully. Let’s close our eyes. What do you hear? What is making that sound? Let’s keep listening with our eyes closed.”
• Notice: “Abby’s watching bubbles. What do you notice around us right now? Let’s slow down and watch and notice how things around us are moving or changing.”