How to get to Sesame Tree...

... tune into Cbeebies at 10.40am, that's how!!!

Yes, the second series of the Northern Ireland produced Sesame Tree started this week on Cbeebies, more than two and a half years since the first series launched on BBC2 NI in April 2008. It's probably no secret to regular readers of this blog just how much a fan of Sesame Street I was as a child - I sang their praises in celebration of the 40th anniversary last year, and as an adult and parent I am eternally grateful to the educational and social impact it has had on me, much of which I strive to pass on to my own son and niece. I am therefore proud as punch that my adopted homeland is the focus of this successful spin-off, that teaches the ideals of friendship, respect and the value of diversity to children. The main age group aim is 3-6 year olds, though the wee man was glued to it this morning, proving that a good old dose of puppets and music can make something accessible to the very young too.



However Sesame Tree is not unique to Northern Ireland. The concept has been adopted by a number of countries, perhaps most famously in South Africa, where Kami, the HIV Positive muppet character has been used to great affect to promote awareness of AIDS and HIV related issues. In the following video Kami discusses the issue with former US President Bill Clinton. I'd also like to at this point name and shame the Republican congressmen Bill Tauzin, Chip Pickering, Fred Upton, Joe Barton, Richard Burr and Cliff Stearns, who in 2002 went on record as cautioning PBS against introducing a similar character into the US version, reminding the publicly funded channel that Congress could remove funding. Gentlemen, you are appalling douche bags and should be ashamed of yourselves.



Long live the Sesame Street family, wherever in the world you are enjoying it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/sesametree/

40 Years of Sesame Street

I'm a little late with this, but Sesame Street turned 40 last week and it would be travesty not to mention it here. I remember watching Sesame Street as a child and and I can't really begin to express just how much of a lasting impact it has had on me. I credit it with being able to say the alphabet and write my name by the time I went to nursery school and still to this day I pronounce Z the Americanised 'Zee', rather than 'Zed', (it just makes more sense as it rhymes with 'T'). I regularly visit the Sesame Street website and play the videos for the Shugmeister, inclusing classic clips, and can't wait until he's old enough for the online games and activites.

Sesame Street Online
Sesame Tree Northern Ireland

Over the years the show has continued to educate and inform kids everywhere on a range of issues and still pulls in huge guest starts such as Michelle Obama, who appeared recently to talk about growing your own food. The environment has always played a big role, with various Muppets teaching the importance of everything from picking up litter to respecting the habitat of animals, but I've picked my personal favourite here, the greenest of all the Muppets (and the only one to appear on both Sesame Street and the Muppet Show fact fans), Kermit the Frog. Enjoy







Reb x