Sesame Street characters facts for kids

Sesame Street is a famous American children's TV show. It features many different characters. Most of these characters are Muppets. Muppets are special puppets created by Jim Henson. The show also includes human characters and animated characters.

The World of Sesame Street Characters

Jim Henson, the amazing creator of The Muppets, in 1989

Jim Henson created many Muppet characters for Sesame Street. He met one of the show's creators, Joan Ganz Cooney, in 1968. Henson was unsure at first. But he agreed to join Sesame Street to help educate children. He also agreed to share ownership of the Muppets with the show's non-profit producer.

The Muppets quickly became very popular. They helped make the show a big success. Early tests showed that kids loved the Muppet parts of the show. More Muppets were added in the first few seasons. Muppets were great teaching tools. Children easily recognized them. They were also fun for older kids and adults.

Before the show first aired, producers tested it with young children. They found that kids loved the Muppets. But their interest dropped when only human characters were on screen. This was because experts thought kids might get confused if Muppets and humans were together.

So, the show's creators made a big change. They decided to have Muppets and humans interact. This mix of "fluffy monsters and earnest adults" became the heart of Sesame Street. Since 2001, Sesame Workshop has owned all the rights to the Sesame Street Muppets.

Meet the Muppets

Many beloved Muppets live on Sesame Street. They help teach kids about letters, numbers, and feelings.

Big Bird, the Curious Canary

• Performed by Caroll Spinney (1969–2018), Matt Vogel (1997–present)

Big Bird is one of the main characters. He is an 8-foot-2-inch tall yellow bird. Many believe he is a canary. Big Bird lives in a large nest near the "123 Sesame Street" building. He is like a curious 6-year-old child. He loves to ask questions about everything. His best friend is Aloysius Snuffleupagus, or "Snuffy." Snuffy was first seen as Big Bird's imaginary friend. Later, the human characters also met Snuffy.

Oscar the Grouch, the Happy Pessimist

• Performed by Caroll Spinney (1969–2018), Eric Jacobson (2015–present)

Oscar the Grouch lives in a trash can. He is a unique creature who is often grumpy. Oscar shows kids that it's okay to feel grouchy sometimes. He also teaches that people can have different opinions. Oscar and Big Bird were created to interact with the human characters. Oscar has friends too, like his pet worm, Slimey, and his girlfriend Grundgetta.

Bert and Ernie, Best Friends Forever

• Bert: Performed by Frank Oz (1969–2006), Eric Jacobson (1999–present)
• Ernie: Performed by Jim Henson (1969–1990), Steve Whitmire (1993–2014), Billy Barkhurst (2014–2017), Peter Linz (2017–present)

Bert and Ernie have been on the show since the beginning. They are best friends with very different personalities. Ernie is playful and loves his rubber duck. Bert is more serious. He loves things like pigeons and paper clips.

Cookie Monster, the Snacking Star

• Performed by Frank Oz (1969–2004), David Rudman (2001–present)

Cookie Monster is a fuzzy, blue monster. He is famous for loving cookies. He will eat almost anything in sight! He often says "Om nom nom nom nom!" when he eats. His signature song is "C is for Cookie". Cookie Monster has also appeared in funny movie parodies. He even ran a food truck. He is often shown as a chef or baker.

Zoe, the Dancing Monster

• Performed by Fran Brill (1993–2015), Jennifer Barnhart (2016–present)

Zoe is an orange, 3-year-old girl monster. She is both graceful and strong. Zoe is Elmo's best friend. She has a pet rock named Rocco. Zoe also loves to dance ballet.

Rosita, the Bilingual Friend

• Performed by Carmen Osbahr (1991–present)

Rosita is a turquoise, 5-year-old girl monster. She speaks both English and Spanish. Rosita also loves to play the guitar.

Grover, the Super Helper

• Performed by Frank Oz (1970–2012), Eric Jacobson (1999–present)

Grover is a blue monster. He is confident, cute, and smart. Grover has a superhero alter-ego called "Super Grover." Super Grover always means well, even if his help sometimes causes funny problems.

Count von Count, the Number Lover

• Performed by Jerry Nelson (1972–2012), Matt Vogel (2013–present)

Count von Count is a friendly, number-obsessed vampire. He is based on the famous character Count Dracula. The Count loves to count everything he sees!

Elmo, the Little Red Star

• Performed by Kevin Clash (1984–2012), Ryan Dillon (2013–present)

Elmo is a small, red monster with a high voice. He is like a 3-year-old child. Elmo usually talks about himself in the third person, saying "Elmo loves you!" He became incredibly popular after Kevin Clash took over the role in 1984. Elmo is friendly and cheerful. He has a distinctive giggle. He often falls over backwards to make people laugh. In 1998, Elmo got his own segment called "Elmo's World." In this part of the show, he explored topics important to kids. "Elmo's World" used both live action and computer animation. It looked like a child's crayon drawing. "Elmo's World" returned in 2017 with a new look. Elmo is one of the main characters today. He has two pets: a fish named Dorothy and his puppy Tango.

Abby Cadabby, the Fairy-in-Training

• Performed by Leslie Carrara-Rudolph (2006–present)

Abby Cadabby is a pink, four-year-old fairy-in-training. She was introduced in 2006. Abby helped increase the number of girl Muppets on the show. Her stepbrother, Rudy, joined the show in 2017.

Julia, the Autistic Friend

• Performed by Stacey Gordon (2017–present)

Julia is the first Muppet on the show with autism. She was introduced in 2017. Julia helps children learn about the autism spectrum in a friendly way. She is four years old.

Other Fun Muppets

Many other Muppets appear on Sesame Street. These include the Twiddlebugs, who are clever insects. The Yip Yips are Martians who explore our world. There's also game show host Guy Smiley. Construction workers Biff and Sully are often busy. Herry Monster is a strong blue monster. Forgetful Jones is a cowboy who sometimes forgets things. Even Kermit the Frog, a very famous Muppet, has visited Sesame Street.

You might also see The Three Bears from the Goldilocks story. Telly Monster is a violet-red monster who worries a lot. Murray Monster is an energetic orange monster. He hosts a segment called "Word on the Street."

Human Friends on Sesame Street

The human characters on Sesame Street are just as important as the Muppets. They help create a diverse and welcoming neighborhood.

The Original Neighbors

The first human cast members were chosen carefully. Gordon Robinson was a respected science teacher. He was played by Matt Robinson and later by Roscoe Orman. Gordon's wife, Susan, was played by Loretta Long. Mr. Harold Hooper was a kind grocer. He was played by Will Lee until his death in 1982. Bob Johnson was a music teacher, played by Bob McGrath.

The show's creators wanted a group of diverse actors. They didn't want just one host. This made the show feel like a real neighborhood.

New Faces and Important Stories

Linda (Linda Bove) was a librarian. She used American Sign Language to communicate. Linda became the longest-running deaf character in TV history. In 1985, Gordon and Susan adopted a shy child named Miles. Miles grew up to be a fun-loving teenager.

In 1971, Luis Rodriguez (Emilio Delgado) joined the show. He was a Mexican-American repairman. Luis was known as the "Mr. Fix-It" of Sesame Street. Luis married Maria (Sonia Manzano) in 1988. Their daughter, Gabi, was born the next year.

When Mr. Hooper passed away, Sesame Street addressed his death in a special episode in 1983. This helped many children understand loss. After that, David (Northern Calloway) took over Hooper's Store. Later, Mr. Handford (played by Leonard Jackson and then David Smyrl) ran the store. Today, Alan (Alan Muraoka) is the owner.

Gina Jefferson (played by Alison Bartlett O'Reilly) started as a teenager. She later ran a day care center and became a veterinarian. Newer human characters include Chris (Chris Knowings), Gordon and Susan's nephew. Leela (Nitya Vidyasagar) owns the laundromat. Armando (Ismael Cruz Córdova) is an energetic writer who loves gadgets.

The Noodle Family

The "Elmo's World" segment features the funny Mr. Noodle. He was played by Bill Irwin. When Bill was busy, his brother Mr. Noodle was played by Michael Jeter. Later, Mr. Noodle's sisters, Ms. Noodle (Kristin Chenoweth) and Miss Noodle (Sarah Jones), also appeared. The Noodles are like silent film comedians. They make mistakes but solve them with help from kids. This helps children feel smart and empowered.

Animated Adventures

Sesame Street also includes many animated characters. These add even more fun and learning to the show.

Classic Animated Friends

Some older animated characters include Alice Braithwaite Goodyshoes and the Teeny Little Super Guy. In 2008, Bert and Ernie starred in "Bert and Ernie's Great Adventure." This Claymation segment showed them exploring different places. The next year, Abby Cadabby got her own computer-animated show, "Abby's Flying Fairy School." Here, she learned to be a fairy with her classmates. Even some DC Comics characters like Batman and Superman appeared in animated segments early on.

Smarty, the Tech-Savvy Friend

Animated characters usually don't interact with the human or Muppet characters. But Smarty is an exception. Smarty debuted in 2017 in "Elmo's World." Smarty is a talking smartphone who helps Elmo and the audience learn new things.