Sesame Street Tonie Activities: 7 Days of Screen-Free Play
Can you tell me how to get… to a whole week of play?
This week, we’re taking Sesame Street beyond the Toniebox and turning listening time into seven days of simple, screen-free activities.
No preschool worksheets. No giant craft-supply haul. No need to turn every song into a lesson.
We’ll say hello, explore feelings, hunt for letters and shapes, open a pretend shop, make music, move our bodies and finish with our own neighborhood celebration.
Use whichever Sesame Street audio your family already enjoys. Listen for a little while. Then bring the neighborhood into the room.
Our neighborhood is full of things to notice, share and do together.
What You’ll Need
paper
crayons or washable markers
a few familiar toys or stuffed animals
an open box or basket
a few large household objects
cups or bowls
blocks or stacking cups
a spoon or other safe object for tapping a beat
your Sesame Street audio
You do not need a house full of Sesame Street toys. The characters can start the idea. Your child’s own toys can take over from there.
Our Words for the Week
We’ll sprinkle simple Spanish into actions that already make sense.
hello — hola
bye — adiós
happy — feliz
sad — triste
my turn — mi turno
your turn — tu turno
more — más
stop — para
go — vamos
again — otra vez
Don’t pause the play to quiz. Use the words while the meaning is happening.
Daily activities
Day 1
Welcome to the Neighborhood
Today we’re opening the door.
Choose a doorway, couch cushion, cardboard box or simply one spot on the floor. That’s our neighborhood entrance.
Bring over a familiar toy. Knock. “Knock, knock.” Then: “Hello!” “¡Hola!”
Bring another toy. “Hola!” Wave. Say goodbye. “Adiós.” Then do it again.
For younger children, the entire activity can be: knock, open, wave, close.
For preschoolers, turn it into a tiny neighborhood. “Who lives here?” “Who is visiting?” “Who should we invite next?” “What should we say when they arrive?”
Zero-Prep Version
Use an actual door. Knock. Open it. “¡Hola!” Close it. Repeat until your child decides everyone in the house has moved into the hallway.
Day 2
How Does the Monster Feel?
Today we’re noticing feelings. You don’t need character cards. Use your own face.
Start with: “Happy.” “Feliz.” Make an exaggerated happy face. Then: “Sad.” “Triste.” Try: surprised, sleepy, silly, excited.
Ask: “Can you make a happy face?” “¿Feliz?” Or let your child choose the feeling and YOU copy them.
For younger children, simply noticing and copying expressions is enough.
For preschoolers, give the feeling a tiny story. “Our friend dropped the block tower.” “How do they feel?” “Our friend found it again!” “Now how do they feel?”
The goal isn’t to label every emotion perfectly. It’s noticing that faces and bodies tell us things.
Play Aprende Pairing
If appropriate for your child, pair this with Yo Puedo Decir No / I Can Say No! for another way to talk about feelings, boundaries and communication.
Day 3
Letter Hunt on Sesame Street
Today we’re hunting for letters. Choose ONE letter. Not the entire alphabet. Maybe the first letter of your child’s name.
Write it very large on a piece of paper. Look at it together. Then go hunting. Can you find that same letter: on a book? on a box? on a shirt? on a sign?
If your child is younger, don’t worry about matching. Simply point out: “Look!” “A letter.” “Una letra.”
For preschoolers, make it a mission. “Can you find TWO?” “Can you find one on a book?” “Can you find one outside?”
Make It Bigger Later
Choose a second letter. Now compare. “Same?” “Different?” Or build the letter using blocks, playdough or sticks.
Sesame Street is full of doors, windows, signs, steps and objects. So today we’re looking at shapes.
Start with one easy shape. A circle. Find one around the house. A plate. A lid. A wheel. Then: “Circle.” “Círculo.” Try another. “Square.” “Cuadrado.”
For younger children, simply pointing to large contrasting shapes is enough.
For preschoolers: “Find something round.” “Busca un círculo.” “Can you find something with FOUR sides?”
You can also draw two large shapes on paper and place familiar objects nearby. Let your child decide where things belong. No formal sorting assessment required.
Take It Outside
Look at: road signs, windows, wheels, tiles, doors. The neighborhood is full of shapes once you start noticing them.
Day 5
The Neighborhood Shop
Today we’re opening a store.
Place an open box or basket on the floor. Add a few large familiar objects. Maybe: a toy, a spoon, a block, a ball, a book.
One person is the shopper. One person runs the shop. You don’t need money.
Start with: “Hello.” “Hola.” “Can I have this?” “More?” “¿Más?” Then: “Thank you.” “Gracias.”
Now switch. “My turn.” “Mi turno.” “Your turn.” “Tu turno.”
For younger children, handing an object back and forth is enough.
For preschoolers, add choices. “What would you like?” “Do you want the ball or the book?” “How many?” “One?” “Two?”
Zero-Prep Version
Hand your child a spoon. “Welcome to my store.” They hand it back. Transaction complete. The economy survives.
Day 6
Make Some Music
Today we make the room noisy on purpose.
Choose safe household objects that make different sounds. You might: clap hands, tap a bowl, shake something appropriate, tap two blocks, stomp your feet.
Start with one sound. Tap. Tap. Tap. Then stop. “STOP.” “¡PARA!” Again. “¡OTRA VEZ!”
Change the speed. “Fast!” “¡Rápido!” “Slow…” “Despacio…”
For younger children, copying one beat or anticipating the stop is plenty.
For preschoolers, let them become the conductor. They decide: go, stop, fast, slow, loud, quiet.
We’ve spent the week greeting people, noticing feelings, finding letters and shapes, taking turns and making music. Today we put a little of everything together.
Bring a few toys into one area. Someone arrives. “¡Hola!” Someone needs a turn. “Mi turno.” Someone finds a shape. “Círculo!”
For younger children, choose just one or two actions.
For preschoolers, let them run the celebration. Ask: “Who is coming?” “What should we do?” “Who goes first?” “What music should we make?” “What happens next?”
The goal isn’t to recreate Sesame Street. It’s to build your child’s neighborhood.
Take It Into Real Life
Later, notice the real neighborhood. Say hello to someone you know. Look at a street sign. Find a circle. Listen for music. Notice a dog. Wave goodbye. The things we practiced in play are already everywhere.
Add a Little Bilingual Play
Sesame Street Week is perfect for everyday language because the words show up naturally.
When someone arrives
“Hola.”
When someone leaves
“Adiós.”
When sharing
“Mi turno.” “Tu turno.”
When moving
“Vamos.” “Para.”
When repeating something
“Otra vez.”
When naming a feeling
“Feliz.” “Triste.”
You don’t need equal amounts of English and Spanish. Use the language where it fits. Then use it again tomorrow.
For Younger Children
Keep the invitations tiny.
Wave hello. Knock on a door. Copy a face. Point to one shape. Hand over one object. Take it back. Tap a beat. Freeze.
The adult can provide the larger story. Your child only needs one simple action to join.
For Preschoolers
Add choices and questions.
“Who lives here?” “How does our friend feel?” “What letter should we find?” “What shape do you see?” “Whose turn is it?” “What should the band play?”
Then let your child change the rules. A toy dinosaur can move onto Sesame Street. The shop can start selling pillows. The band can consist entirely of spoons.
That’s not the activity going wrong. That’s pretend play taking over.
Do We Have to Do All Seven Activities?
No.
Repeat the shop all week. Spend three days hunting circles. Make music every afternoon. Skip the letter hunt entirely if nobody cares about letters that day.
Theme Week gives you an invitation. Not an assignment. Follow what your child wants to repeat.
Keep It Screen-Free
Sesame Street may be famous for television. Our Theme Week doesn’t need to be.
Use audio as the starting point. Then move into: faces, conversation, movement, music, pretend play, household objects, books, and your actual neighborhood.
The characters may introduce the idea. The real play happens away from the screen.
One Street. A Whole Week of Play.
Sesame Street works because a neighborhood contains almost everything. People. Feelings. Words. Numbers. Music. Problems. Friends. Things to notice. Things to share. Things to do together.
And your own home and neighborhood already contain those things too.
The audio starts the invitation. Your child turns it into their own street.
Play Aprende is an independent resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by tonies®, Sesame Workshop, Sesame Street®, or their respective owners. Character names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Follow manufacturer age guidance and supervise activities based on your child’s age and abilities.
