Sesame Street's Mr. HooperYes so we rag on the ubiquitous Elmo merch here from time to time. But the truth is, our heart has always been with Sesame Street which turns forty today. Forty! Amazing considering Grover doesn’t look a day over 6.

Everyone seems to be getting in on the action, including Google, which has a special Google Doodle just for the occasion. We’re also wondering if the Empire State Building will be lit up in Kermit green tonight. As for us, we thought we’d bring you just a few cool Sesame Street picks and a cool contest to boot:


First stop: The Muppets Wikia which details ever single episode! It’s also where we found the photo up top of Mr. Hooper, from Sesame Street episode 1.

Vintage Sesame Street Lunchbox
A vintage Sesame Street Lunchbox from 1979, although probably better for decor than for actual lunches.
designer Cookie Monster tee
Morfs handmade Cookie Monster shirt for kids, nom nom nom.

Jim Henson: The Works

Jim Henson: The Works – The Art, The Magic, The Imagination. We still miss Jim Henson who lives on in this beautifully produced coffee table book.

Vintage Big Bird Fabric
Vintage Big Bird fabric: You’ve got two yards. Make a cool toddler pillow? Or cut out the motif and embroider it onto a bunch of onesies and sell them on etsy.

Oscar the Grouch New Balance Sneakers

New Balance special edition Sesame Street sneakers came out last year. Cookie Monster may be my favorite, but you’ve got to love the flies around Oscar’s trash can.

Ray Charles on Sesame Street
The Sesame Workshop Video archive is a fabulous resource for parents, with a full 112 pages of videos from Grover’s fly in my soup sketch to the amazing Celebrities Sing the Alphabet video. All commercial free.

Snuffleupagus tee shirt

The Mr. Snuffleupagus tee
at the Sesame Street shop is so awesome – really, what kid doesn’t want
him to be their best friend? And if you buy it there, all the profits
go right back into Sesame Workshop’s educational programs. –Liz

When Elmo Grows UpCongratulations to Kirsten O., lucky winner of four tickets to Sesame Street Live show: Elmo Grows Up!