Elmo Puppet

This Elmo puppet was used on Sesame Street from about 1984 until the early 2000s. An optimistic and friendly monster, Elmo helps the show’s youngest viewers make sense not only of words and numbers, but also big feelings. Designed to represent the cognitive and emotional development of a three-and-a-half-year-old child, Elmo serves as a partner in learning for children that age. Elmo is a furry red monster with an orange nose. Elmo is enthusiastic, playful, and cheerful, and usually refers to himself in the third person. He was originally designed in 1979 as a generic background monster and first appeared as Elmo on Sesame Street in 1980. He was performed by Kevin Clash until 2012 and was more recently performed by Ryan Dillon.

Designed by the nonprofit Children's Television Workshop to teach basic reading, math, and life skills to young of-color and low-income viewers who might not otherwise attend preschool, Sesame Street premiered in 1969. Its innovative approach—one focused on both “educational merit and entertainment appeal,” using the techniques of television advertising and entertainment to teach—drew young viewers of every background. Sesame Street changed the face of children’s television and had a transformative influence on early childhood education in schools and at home. Jim Henson’s Muppets have been residents of Sesame Street from the beginning. The Muppet characters on the show were designed to demonstrate to children the values of diversity and inclusion, as well as to catch viewers' attention.

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