Sesame Workshop and Abbott unveiled a new YouTube special featuring Elmo, Grover, and special guest Aubrey Plaza to help families build healthy habits around nutrition, movement, and sleep.
The initiative launched with Elmo’s World: Dance Party! premiering in the United States before expanding to India, Mexico, and Brazil.
The partnership addresses a critical need: establishing healthy routines early in childhood can reduce the risk of chronic illness later in life. The program combines multimedia resources with community outreach, offering free materials in multiple languages.
“We are delighted to team up with Abbott on our new global program providing children and their families with tools and resources they need to promote healthy habits for mind and body,” said Carolina Casas, Vice President of Global Education at Sesame Workshop.
“Creating and maintaining a new habit can be challenging at any age, but for young children, the impact of a strong healthy foundation lasts a lifetime.”
The 26-minute special takes viewers on an adventure where characters discover new dance moves while learning about healthy choices. Plaza joins as Ms. Noodle alongside Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, Big Bird, and international Sesame Street characters Abelardo and Chamki.
“Healthy habits are the building blocks of lifelong well-being, and they start early in childhood,” said Melissa Brotz, senior vice president at Abbott and president of Abbott Fund.
“Along with Sesame Workshop, we’re reaching families with resources that fit into real life because small steps to stay healthy, taken early in life, can make a difference in the prevention of chronic illness for years to come.”
Beyond the special, families can access storybooks, activity sheets, and articles at Sesame.org/HealthyHabits.
Materials include “Sun’s Up, Sun’s Down,” featuring daily routines, and “Healthy Together,” with printable activities for building family habits.
The resources also include four new storybooks, available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Hindi: Abby’s Magical Mistakes, Abelardo’s Family Day, Elmo’s Exciting Sleep, and Super Tasters.
The global reach extends through localized content.
Mexico and Brazil will receive 40-activity classroom box sets and WhatsApp cards, while India gets Hindi-language resources, including yoga posture books and interactive games distributed through childcare centers.
Sesame Workshop operates in over 190 countries, using education, media, and research to help children grow “smarter, stronger, and kinder.” Abbott, the healthcare company funding the initiative, serves people in more than 160 countries with its 114,000 employees.
The program represents a strategic approach to preventive health, targeting children when habit formation proves most effective. By combining entertainment with education, the initiative aims to make healthy choices appealing rather than obligatory.
