Holiday Toy Chest: Sesame Street

 La, la, la, la... la, la, la, la...

Admit it. How many of you just said, "Elmo's World"? And how many of you know Snuffy's first name? How old Big Bird is? The Alma Mater for Abby's Flying Fairy School?

If any of these apply to you, either you were or your child is being raised "on the Street", as they say. Sesame Street has filled forty years with sunny days and educational, comforting fun for little ones. It is just as popular now as ever, possibly more. New characters and a revamped concept speak to the needs of a new generation of friends. This show, an amazing effort decades ago to help children, especially those living in cities, learn before going to school, packs an hour with songs, dances, familiar characters and quick-paced but easy to process segments on counting, spelling, language, social skills, nutrition and healthful living.

Sesame Street never goes out of style. New products, from plush toys to DVDs and video games, are constantly being introduced to integrate the playful entertainment and sound educational aspects of the show into a preschooler's playtime. I love the stuffed toys. Unlike some characters-gone-toy, these look exactly like the characters do on the show. With these adored friends in hand, toddlers can stretch their imaginations and parents can carry the lessons the characters teach throughout the day. Cuddling with the Count, a little one can count the pieces of cereal in his snack bag and a soft Elmo can encourage a curious child to "think about" something new each day, following the example of Elmo's World and exploring her environment to learn everything she can about a topic.

Beyond the plushies, toys have arrived that allow more active play. Puzzles, building sets and simple video games are compelling and give a child's brain a good "work out". Sesame Street lacks a lot of the sacchrine, silly and, my opinion, condescending aspects that a lot of young children-directed shows have. Concepts are introduced in a contemporary, engaging and culturally applicable way, including topics that are absent from other shows but important to a little one's understanding of the world. In this series adults get married, babies are adopted, deaf, blind and handicapped children are played with and even, in one difficult instance that followed the passing of  beloved actor, characters die.

Sesame Street is an enduring addition to childhood hat has nurtured generations of children and, hopefully, will continue to long into the future. Toys from this brand aresure to delight ny little one on your list!