List of Sesame Street Muppets facts for kids
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Jim Henson, who created The Muppets, joined Sesame Street to help with important social goals.
The Muppets are famous puppet characters created by Jim Henson. Many of them became stars on the children's TV show Sesame Street. Jim Henson started working on Sesame Street after meeting Joan Ganz Cooney, one of the show's creators, in 1968. Another director, Jon Stone, felt that the show really needed Jim Henson's puppets.
Jim Henson wasn't sure at first, but he decided to join Sesame Street because he believed in its goals to help educate children. He also agreed to give up his usual payment for performing. Instead, he would own the Sesame Street Muppets and share any money they made with the Children's Television Workshop, the group that made the show. The Muppets quickly became a huge part of the show's success and made Jim Henson famous across the country.
The Muppets were popular right from the start of Sesame Street. More and more Muppets were added in the first few years. They were great for teaching kids because children easily recognized them. The Muppets were also fun for older kids and adults to watch.
How the Muppets Changed Sesame Street
When Sesame Street was first being made, producers created five test episodes. These were shown to young children in homes and daycares in 1969. The goal was to see if kids liked the show and understood what it was teaching.
The results were very good! Children learned from the shows and stayed interested for the whole hour. However, researchers noticed something important. Kids paid a lot of attention during the Muppet parts, but their interest dropped when only human actors were on screen. This happened because the show's creators had listened to child experts. These experts thought children might get confused if humans and Muppets were shown together.
Because of this, the test episodes weren't as appealing as they could have been. The "Street" scenes, where humans lived and interacted, were meant to connect the whole show. So, the producers decided to make a big change. They chose to ignore the earlier advice and re-filmed the Street scenes. Jim Henson and his team created new Muppets that could talk and play with the human actors. This led to the creation of famous characters like Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird.
This decision made Sesame Street what it is today. It created a wonderful mix of funny monsters and kind adults. Since 2001, the Sesame Workshop has owned all the rights to the Muppets created for Sesame Street. However, they do not own Kermit the Frog.
Meet the Muppets of Sesame Street
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| Character | Performer | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Abby Cadabby | Leslie Carrara-Rudolph | A 4-year-old fairy who is still learning her magic. She has tiny wings, a magic wand, and sparkles in her hair. She was created to add more girl Muppets to the show. |
| Alice Snuffleupagus | Judy Sladky | The baby sister of Aloysius Snuffleupagus ("Snuffy"). She has soft, light-gold fur and long eyelashes. She was introduced to show what it's like to have a sibling. |
| Alistair Cookie | Frank Oz | This character is played by Cookie Monster. He is a funny version of a British TV host and appears in the "Monsterpiece Theater" sketch. |
| The Amazing Mumford | Jerry Nelson, John Kennedy | A magician whose magic tricks often go wrong. His special phrase to make magic happen is "À la peanut butter sandwiches". |
| Anything Muppets | Various | These are basic puppet bodies and heads that can be quickly changed to play many different roles. They can be humans, animals, or even aliens. |
| AM Monsters | Various | Short for "Anything Muppet Monsters." These are monster puppets that can be customized, like the Anything Muppets. Elmo started out as an AM Monster. |
| Aristotle | Richard Hunt | A blind monster created to show more people with disabilities on the show. |
| Arlene Frantic | Fran Brill | Appeared in the Sesame Street sketches called "What's My Part." |
| Baby Bear | David Rudman | Baby Bear is from the "Three Bears" story. He is Curly Bear's big brother and Telly Monster's best friend. |
| Barkley | Toby Towson (1978), Fred Garbo, Brian Muehl, Bruce Connelly | A large, friendly, shaggy dog owned by Linda. He knows some words in American Sign Language. |
| Beautiful Day Monster | Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Caroll Spinney | This puppet was sometimes used instead of Cookie Monster in the first season of Sesame Street. |
| Bennett Snerf | Jerry Nelson (AM Monster version), Caroll Spinney (Anything Muppet version) | Appeared in the Sesame Street sketches "What's My Part." |
| Benny Rabbit | Kevin Clash | A grumpy rabbit who worked as a bellhop at the Furry Arms Hotel. |
| Bert | Frank Oz (1969–2006), Eric Jacobson (1997–present) | Ernie's best friend. He likes collecting paperclips and bottle caps, eating oatmeal, and watching pigeons. |
| Betty Lou | Lisa Buckley | She has blonde braided hair and is a friendly character. |
| Biff | Jerry Nelson, Matt Vogel (2020–present) | One half of a Muppet construction worker team. He is a loud and funny character. He often asks his partner Sully for ideas, but then interrupts him. |
| Big Bird | Caroll Spinney (1969–2018), Matt Vogel (1997–present) | Standing over eight feet tall, Big Bird was designed by Don Sahlin. He is a child-like character, full of curiosity and innocence. |
| Bip Bippadotta | Jim Henson, John Kennedy | A wild-haired puppet featured in the Muppet song "Mah Nà Mah Nà". |
| Bruno the Trashman | Caroll Spinney | A trashman who sometimes carries Oscar's trash can around. This allowed Oscar to move and talk at the same time. |
| Buster | Martin P. Robinson | Forgetful Jones' horse. He often helps Forgetful remember things and get out of trouble. |
| Captain Vegetable | Jim Henson (1982), Richard Hunt (1983–1984), Peter Linz (2019–present) | A superhero who encourages eating healthy vegetables. His symbol was a carrot. |
| Clementine | Brian Muehl (1980–1984), Kevin Clash, Camille Bonora (voice) | Forgetful Jones' girlfriend. |
| Colambo | Joey Mazzarino | A lamb detective, inspired by the TV show Columbo. |
| Cookie Monster | Frank Oz (1969–2004), David Rudman (2001–present) | Cookie Monster is a very excited and lovable character who always wants more food, especially cookies! |
| Count von Count | Jerry Nelson (1972–2012), Matt Vogel (2013–present) | A vampire who loves counting everything he sees. He has purple fur, bat-shaped ears, and wears a fancy cape. |
| Countess Dahling von Dahling | Fran Brill (1980–1984) | Count von Count's girlfriend. She has a dog named Masha. |
| Curly Bear | Stephanie D'Abruzzo | Baby Bear's little sister. She was created to talk about sibling rivalry. Curly calls her brother "Bebo" and has a very loud growl. |
| Deena | Karen Prell | A young, energetic pinkish-purple monster with red hair and wild eyes. She was very active. |
| Dexter | Kevin Clash | A tall purple monster who loves to juggle. |
| Dingers | Various | Like the Honkers, the Dingers communicate only with dinging sounds. |
| Don Music | Richard Hunt, Ryan Dillon (2019–present) | A piano player who needed help from Kermit the Frog to finish his songs. When he got frustrated, he would bang his head on the piano. |
| Donald/Ronald Grump | Martin P. Robinson | This character is a funny version of a famous businessman. He is a grouch, like Oscar. |
| Dr. Feel | Steve Whitmire | A funny version of a TV personality and author. |
| Dr. Nobel Price | Brian Muehl (1980–1984), Kevin Clash (1984–1988) | Dr. Price's inventions were often useless or had already been invented. He was a "misguided inventor." |
| Elizabeth | Stephanie D'Abruzzo | A Muppet with pigtails and a Brooklyn accent. She loves the number 732 and her cat, Little Murray Sparkles. |
| Elmo | Brian Muehl (1980–1984), Richard Hunt (1984–1985), Kevin Clash (1985–2012), Ryan Dillon (2013–present) | Elmo is a 3½-year-old red monster with a happy voice and a catchy giggle. He is enthusiastic, friendly, and curious. |
| Elijah | Christopher Hayes | He is Wes's father and Naomi's husband. Elijah works as a meteorologist, which means he studies the weather. He enjoys running, watching movies, and cooking with his family. |
| Ernie | Jim Henson (1969–1990), Steve Whitmire (1993–2014), Peter Linz (2017–present) | Bert's best friend. Ernie is playful and free-spirited. He likes to play jokes on Bert, play music, sing, and take baths with his Rubber Ducky. |
| Farley | Jerry Nelson | A green Muppet boy with short orange spiky hair and a yellow sweater. |
| Fatima | Carmen Osbahr (2002) | A purple bird from Paraguay and Big Bird's special friend. |
| Ferlinghetti Donizetti | Richard Hunt (1980–1984), Kevin Clash (1984–1986) | A blue poet and rapper. |
| Flo Bear | David Rudman | A bear writer whose name is a play on a famous French novelist. |
| Forgetful Jones | Michael Earl (1980–1981), Richard Hunt (1981–1992), Matt Vogel (2019–present) | A simple cowboy who always forgets everything. |
| Frazzle | Jerry Nelson | A growling orange monster who looks fierce but has a child-like personality and wants to be included. |
| Fred | Jerry Nelson | A wonderful horse ridden by Grover. Fred is very smart and often saves the day. |
| Gabrielle | Megan Piphus Peace (2020–present) | A 6¾-year-old girl with a lively and curious personality. She loves singing, dancing, playing pretend, and going on nature walks with her friends. |
| Gladys the Cow | Richard Hunt, Jennifer Barnhart | A cow with a loud, opera-like voice. She loves to perform. |
| Granny Bird | Caroll Spinney (1969–2014) Jennifer Barnhart (2018–present) |
Big Bird's grandmother. |
| Mrs. Grouch | Martin P. Robinson | Oscar the Grouch's mother. |
| Gonger | Warrick Brownlow-Pike | A pink monster who works with Cookie Monster in his food truck. Gonger has a unique accent and is good at hospitality. |
| Granny Fanny Nestlerode | Caroll Spinney | An old lady Muppet who appeared in the early seasons of the show. |
| Grover | Frank Oz (1969–2012), Eric Jacobson (1998–present) | Grover is a very optimistic character. He is honest and wise, even though he sometimes tricks himself. |
| Grundgetta | Brian Muehl (1980–1984), Pam Arciero (1984–present) | A Grouch who is Oscar the Grouch's girlfriend. She is just as grouchy as Oscar and loves trashy things. |
| Gulliver | Joey Mazzarino | A seagull who is Big Bird's penpal. |
| Guy Smiley | Jim Henson (1969–1990), Eric Jacobson (2005–present) | Guy Smiley is "America's favorite game-show host." |
| Harvey Kneeslapper | Frank Oz, Eric Jacobson | A character known for his loud laugh. |
| Herbert Birdsfoot | Jerry Nelson | A Muppet lecturer who often appeared with Grover. |
| Herry Monster | Jerry Nelson, Martin P. Robinson, Peter Linz | Herry is a big, fuzzy blue monster with a gentle side. He often appears in scenes with children. |
| Honkers | Various | Like the Dingers, they communicate only through honking sounds. |
| Hoots | Kevin Clash, Christopher Hayes (2019–present) | Hoots is a saxophone-playing jazz owl. |
| Horatio | Joey Mazzarino | A dancing Asian elephant. |
| Humphrey | David Rudman | He and his wife Ingrid are Natasha's parents. They manage the Furry Arms Hotel. |
| Ingrid | Joey Mazzarino | Natasha's mother. She and her husband Humphrey manage the Furry Arms Hotel. |
| Jamie Fox | Joey Mazzarino | A fox who, along with Elmo and actor Jamie Foxx, tries to figure out who the real "Jamie Fox" is. |
| Ji-Young | Kathleen Kim (2021–) | A 7-year-old Korean-American girl. She loves skateboarding and playing her electric guitar. Ji-Young is the first Asian-American Muppet on Sesame Street. |
| Julia | Stacey Gordon (2017–present) | A little girl with green eyes and red hair who is autistic. She has an artistic personality. |
| Kermit | Jim Henson (1955–1990), Steve Whitmire (1990–2016)Matt Vogel (2017–present) | A frog who was one of the first Muppets designed by Jim Henson. Kermit is funny, smart, and often the calm voice of reason. The Sesame Workshop does not own Kermit. |
| Kingston Livingston III | Kevin Clash | A young African-American Muppet who is smart, cool, and likes to do his own thing. |
| Lefty the Salesman | Frank Oz (1970–1975), Ryan Dillon (2019–present) | A shady, green-skinned Muppet who tries to sell useless items, usually to Ernie. |
| Leo | Richard Hunt | A loud and energetic monster who loves to party. |
| Little Bird | Fran Brill, Stephanie D'Abruzzo (2019) | Big Bird's "little friend," who is a bit wiser than Big Bird. |
| Little Chrissy | Jim Henson (puppeteer), Christopher Cerf (voice) | The lead singer of "Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats." He was one of the first Muppets based on a real person. |
| Little Jerry | Jerry Nelson | A green Muppet who is the lead singer of the rock group "Little Jerry and the Monotones." |
| Little Murray Sparkles | Alice Dinnean, Stephanie D'Abruzzo | Elizabeth's beloved pet cat. |
| Liz Lemon | Stephanie D'Abruzzo | A lemon character who is a funny version of a TV character. |
| Louie | Bill Barretta (2006–2010), Tyler Bunch (2010–present) | Elmo's dad and Mae's husband. |
| Mama Bear | Jennifer Barnhart | Baby Bear and Curly Bear's mother and Papa Bear's wife. |
| The Martians | Jim Henson, Jerry Nelson, Martin P. Robinson | These are Sesame Street's version of Martians. They look like jellyfish and speak a simple mix of Martian sounds and English. |
| Merry Monster | Joey Mazzarino | A yellow female monster who likes to scare people for fun. |
| Meryl Sheep | Camille Bonora | A sheep with a European accent. She is a funny version of a famous actress. |
| Monty | Martin P. Robinson | A Muppet character that pays tribute to a famous comedy group. |
| Mr. Johnson | Jerry Nelson (1971–2012), Matt Vogel (2013–present) | Also called "Fat Blue," Mr. Johnson usually appears with Grover as a customer in restaurant skits. |
| Murray Monster | Joey Mazzarino | The host of the "Word on the Street" segment. Murray is a loud, red-orange Muppet. |
| Natasha | Kevin Clash | An infant monster who communicates using only baby-talk. Natasha's parents are Humphrey and Ingrid. |
| Oscar the Grouch | Caroll Spinney (1969–2018), Eric Jacobson (2015–present) | One of the first Muppets created for Sesame Street. Oscar is a "surprising success" because he shows kids that it's okay to feel grumpy sometimes. |
| Ovejita | Carmen Osbahr | (2008) A little lamb who goes with Murray to different schools in the segment "Murray Had a Little Lamb." |
| Papa Bear | Joey Mazzarino | Baby Bear and Curly Bear's father, and Mama Bear's husband. |
| Placido Flamingo | Richard Hunt | An "opera star" who often sang with a real opera singer. |
| Poco Loco | Jerry Nelson, Michael Earl | A scarlet macaw who repeats words that Big Bird says. |
| Prairie Dawn | Fran Brill (1971–2015), Stephanie D'Abruzzo (2015–present) | A little girl who is very smart for her age. |
| Prince Charming | Frank Oz | A Muppet who looks like Guy Smiley dressed as a prince. He is a self-centered prince who appears in Muppet fairy tales. |
| Professor Hastings | Frank Oz | A professor whose lectures were so boring that he would fall asleep himself. He was removed from the show because he was "too dull." |
| Rodeo Rosie | Jerry Nelson | A cowgirl who likes to brag a lot. |
| Roosevelt Franklin | Matt Robinson (voice), Chris Knowings (voice, 2019–present) | An African-American Muppet who was very popular and even recorded his own album. |
| Roosevelt Franklin's Mother | Loretta Long (voice) | The mother of Roosevelt Franklin. |
| Rosita | Carmen Osbahr (1991–present) | A playful and positive turquoise 5-year-old monster from Mexico. She speaks both English and Spanish and loves to share her culture. She also enjoys singing and playing the guitar. |
| Roxie Marie | Fran Brill | A construction worker and Biff's niece. |
| Ruby | Camille Bonora | A female Muppet monster who is a scientist and inventor. |
| Rudy | Frankie Cordero (2017–present) | Abby's stepbrother. |
| SAM | Jerry Nelson | A robot who is supposed to be perfect but often makes silly mistakes. SAM stands for "Super Automated Machine." |
| Segi (2010) | Chantylla Johnson (voice) | Inspired by one of the show's writers. She first appeared singing "I Love My Hair," which became very popular online. |
| Sherlock Hemlock | Jerry Nelson, Matt Vogel | A funny version of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes. Hemlock solves mysteries by focusing on small clues and missing the obvious ones. |
| Sherry Netherland | Alice Dinnean | The strict manager of the Furry Arms Hotel. |
| Simon Soundman | Jerry Nelson | A blue Muppet who uses sounds to communicate. |
| Slimey | Jerry Nelson (1970–1978), Michael Earl Davis (1978–1980), Martin P. Robinson (1980–present), Dick Maitland (voice) | An intelligent worm who is the smallest character on Sesame Street. He first spoke in squeaky sounds. |
| Smartie (2017) | Deborah Grausman | An animated yellow phone and Elmo's helper. Her catchphrase is "Look it up." |
| Mr. Snuffleupagus ("Snuffy") | Jerry Nelson (1971–1978), Michael Earl Davis (1978–1980), Martin P. Robinson (1980–present) | A large, friendly monster who looks like an anteater. He is Big Bird's best friend. At first, only Big Bird could see him, but in 1985, the show revealed him to be real. |
| Sonny Friendly | Richard Hunt, David Rudman | Sonny is called "America's Friendliest Game Show Host." |
| The Squirelles | Lillias White, Julianne Buescher, Lisa Buckley, Pam Arciero, Alice Dinnean | A funny version of a 1960s music group. |
| The Oinker Sisters | Ivy Austin, Tawatha Agee, Angela Cappelli, Kevin Clash | A funny version of a famous music group. |
| Stinky the Stinkweed | Joey Mazzarino | A talking stinkweed plant. |
| Sully | Richard Hunt (1973–1992), David Rudman (1992–1999) | A construction worker and Biff's quiet partner. He is often the one who comes up with the solutions. |
| Super Grover | Frank Oz (1973–2012), Eric Jacobson (1998–present) | Grover's superhero identity. |
| Tango | Leslie Carrara-Rudolph | Elmo's puppy who first appeared in an animated special in 2021. She then became a puppet on the show. She is named Tango because she loves to dance. |
| Tamir | Tau Bennett (2020-2022), Bradley Freeman Jr. (2021–present) | An 8-year-old boy and Gabrielle's cousin. He was introduced in a 2020 special and has appeared on the show and in online videos. |
| Telly Monster | Bob Payne (1979), Brian Muehl (1979–1984), Martin P. Robinson | Telly Monster is an intense and serious monster who worries about everything. His favorite shape is the triangle, and his best friend is Baby Bear. |
| The Twiddlebugs | Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt | A family of fuzzy insects (Thomas, Tessie, Timmy, and Tina) who live in a milk carton in Ernie's window box. |
| The Two-Headed Monster | Left Head: Jerry Nelson Right Head: Richard Hunt, Left Head: Joey Mazzarino (2001–2016), Eric Jacobson (2016–present) Right Head: David Rudman (1998–present) |
A purple monster with two heads. They usually speak in simple words and teach viewers about working together. |
| Wes | Bradley Freeman Jr. | A young Muppet boy introduced in 2021 to help talk about racism. He is five years old and loves school and playing pretend. He lives with his father Elijah and mother Naomi. |
| Zoe | Fran Brill (1993–2015), Jennifer Barnhart (2016–present) | Introduced to add more strong girl Muppets to Sesame Street. Zoe is an orange 3-year-old Muppet who loves to sing and dance. Her best friend is Elmo. She is strong-willed, confident, and has a big imagination. She also has a pet rock named Rocco. |
See also
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List of Sesame Street Muppets Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.