It’s not just the humans who are struggling through quarantine. The Muppets have had it, too.
Sesame Street has teamed up with Headspace to create “Monster Meditations,” six animated shorts to help kids learn the basics of mindfulness, meditation, and social and emotional learning — all very important to combat stress and anxiety as families are staying at home.
The shorts, which launch on a biweekly schedule on YouTube and YouTube Kids starting today, are each roughly three minutes long. They feature animated versions of the Sesame Street Muppets feeling frustrated, impatient, overwhelmed, nervous, disappointed, and excited.
Andy Puddicombe, Headspace co-founder and former Buddhist monk, helps each monster learn breathing and sensory activities and mindfulness techniques to help manage their day-to-day stress. For example, when Cookie Monster is impatiently waiting for cookies to bake, Puddicombe teaches him a game called “I-Sense” so that Cookie Monster can learn patience.
Headspace also offers exercises for kids and parents to teach the basics of mindfulness through breathing exercises, visualizations, and focus-based meditation.
Sesame Street also recently released a PSA where Elmo’s dad Louie reminds his fellow parents to take time for themselves — especially now that their kids are home with them 24/7 during this unprecedented time.
As Louie starts to speak, he’s immediately interrupted by Elmo, looking for help building a pillow fort, before Louie lets out a bit of a sigh, and asks him to wait. Louie says he knows it’s so great to spend more time with your kids, but that he knows it can be a bit overwhelming, too. He then leads parents through a deep breath.
“We are all doing the best we can and that is okay. No, it’s better than OK. It’s —” Louie says, before being cut off again by Elmo off-screen. Hang in there, Louie!
For more activities and resources for your family to do while staying safe at home, click here.
