For many parents, Sesame Street isn’t just a TV show, it’s a shared childhood touchstone that now spans generations. That sense of nostalgia is getting a digital boost, with more than 100 full classic episodes of Sesame Street now available to stream for free on YouTube and the YouTube Kids app.
With this expansion, YouTube has quietly become the largest single digital home for Sesame Street content. Alongside more recent seasons, families can now revisit landmark episodes from across the show’s long history, offering kids a window into the same stories and characters their parents grew up with.
What Families Will Find in the Sesame Street YouTube Library
Now in its 56th year, Sesame Street has remained a constant in children’s media by evolving without losing its core identity. The show has always blended humor, warmth, and education, and over time it has expanded its focus to include social-emotional learning, empathy, and mental health—topics that feel just as relevant today as letters and numbers.
Having this deep catalog available digitally means parents can intentionally share pivotal moments from Sesame Street’s past, including:
- The series premiere (1969), which first introduced Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, Kermit the Frog, and the world of Sesame Street.
- Snuffy’s reveal (1971), when Mr. Snuffleupagus was finally acknowledged as real, reinforcing trust and validation for young viewers.
- Fred Rogers’ visit (1981), a memorable crossover that brought together two icons of children’s television.
- Maria and Luis’ engagement, a joyful storyline that reflected family, commitment, and community.
- The farewell to Mr. Hooper (1983), a rare and powerful episode that helped children understand grief in a gentle, honest way.
Beyond full episodes, the channel also offers short-form videos, themed compilations, and extended collections organized around topics like letters, numbers, animals, and everyday routines—making it easy for parents to match content to what their child is learning right now.
Sesame Street’s Impact On My Own Children
As a parent of four, I’ve watched Sesame Street resonate with each of my kids in different ways. Every one of them has loved it, and each has taken away meaningful lessons, from kindness and patience to curiosity and problem-solving. Even now, Sesame Street remains part of our household routine. We regularly watch the newer, shorter-format episodes on Netflix with our three-year-old daughter, and the updated pacing and structure have made it especially engaging for her age.
That ability to grow with its audience, while still welcoming new viewers, has always been one of Sesame Street’s greatest strengths.
I’m 100% convinced that a small part of why my three oldest children are each two to three grades ahead of their peers is because of the lessons they learned from Sesame Street at a young age. And just as importantly, they all found various things to love about the show, my oldest learned the alphabet and all about letters and words on Sesame Street and she now loves to passionately write, while my son was always a big fan of The Count and that has translated into his ability to conceptualize math problems and solve them quickly, putting him three years ago of his grad level in the subject.
Where to Watch Sesame Street Online
You can watch the newly uploaded class episodes on the Sesame Street YouTube channel or the Sesame Street Classics channel. There’s no cost for watching and you can also stream them from your connected TV, an avenue for viewing that continues to grow in viewership as more popular children TV shows search for new audiences in our hyper-connected age.