What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this series adds an important building block to the educational value of the original Sesame Street series by encouraging little ones to think and interact with the show's characters.

Families can talk about each episode's games and activities. What kind of game did you play with Ernie (or Grover, or Prairie Dawn)? What did Bert teach you to do on the computer? Can you show me some of the things you learned?

Common Sense Media Review
Noggin's lively interactive series PLAY WITH ME SESAME combines classic Sesame Street footage with new segments in which favorite Sesame Muppet characters -- Bert, Ernie, Grover, and Prairie Dawn -- invite preschoolers to participate in the fun and excitement, as if they were all on a play date together.

Through games and activities that involve things like imitating various sounds, practicing words and expressions within a specific context, matching colors, dancing, creating art from food, and much more, young viewers learn to express themselves and are introduced to fundamental concepts (such as "same" and "different," or "next to") that are critical to reading, developing creativity, and doing math and science.

During each activity, the Muppet characters encourage viewers to voice their answers and discoveries out loud, a feature that's designed to help preschoolers cultivate the skills and attitudes needed to succeed in social environments. Viewers' interactions with the on-screen characters prepare them for interacting with the real-life playmates they'll meet in school.

Some of the activities even involve computers, introducing children to technology in fun ways. For example, Bert shows viewers how to create "oatmeal art" by rearranging the oatmeal in a bowl shown on the computer screen to form artsy shapes and then adding finishing touches with raisins, colored sprinkles, and more. After he's done, Bert encourages kids to go online at noggin.com and create their own oatmeal masterpiece.

Like the time-tested Sesame Street series, Play with Me Sesame is one of the most wholesome and enlightening programs out there for toddlers, and you can't beat those funny, adorable Muppets when it comes to learning while laughing. Not only do kids get to revisit classic skits they might have seen on the original show (which could be great fun for parents as well), they also get a chance to "talk" with the characters during the new segments, which really engages them and makes the viewing experience even more fun and valuable.

Pinky Dinky Doo and Miffy and Friends are two other outstanding series with interactive segments that teach preschoolers vocabulary, math, and important concepts such as "before" and "after" and "same" and "different."