This is the big one. When actor Will Lee died in 1982, the Sesame Street team made a choice that was radical then and remains powerful now: they didn't write his character out quietly or pretend he moved away. They told kids the truth.

In this episode, Big Bird keeps making pictures and gifts for Mr. Hooper, excited to show him, until the adults finally sit him down and explain that Mr. Hooper died. He's not coming back. Ever.

Big Bird's response—"Why does it have to be this way?"—is one of the most honest moments in television history. And the adults don't have a good answer. Because there isn't one.

Why it matters now: This episode is still the gold standard for how to talk to kids about death. It models that it's okay to be sad, it's okay to not understand, and it's okay to need time. If your family is dealing with loss, this episode remains an incredibly gentle way to open that conversation.

Ages: 4+ (though younger kids will need help processing)

For 14 years, Mr. Snuffleupagus was Big Bird's "imaginary" friend—a running gag where Snuffy would always just miss the adults, leaving them convinced Big Bird was making him up.

Then, in 1985, the writers realized this wasn't funny anymore. In an era of increasing awareness about child abuse, they understood that teaching kids "adults won't believe you when you tell them something important" was sending exactly the wrong message.

So they arranged for the adults to finally, definitively meet Snuffy. The relief on Big Bird's face when Gordon says "We believe you now" is palpable.

Why it matters now: This episode is a masterclass in validation. Kids know when adults aren't taking them seriously. This episode shows what it looks like when adults course-correct and say, "You were right, and we should have listened."

Ages: 3+

Actually, before we get to the death episode, there's an earlier moment worth noting: the episode where Mr. Hooper gets Big Bird's name wrong repeatedly, calling him "Big Turkey" and other variations. Big Bird gets increasingly upset, and Mr. Hooper finally apologizes and explains that everyone makes mistakes.

It's a small moment, but it established something crucial: adults on Sesame Street could be wrong, could apologize, and could change. That's not a given in kids' media, where adults are usually either perfect or buffoons.

Ages: 2+

Roosevelt Franklin was a Muppet who appeared in the show's early years, created specifically to reflect the experiences of Black children. In one particularly powerful segment, Roosevelt Franklin's mother teaches a lesson about skin—how it comes in different colors, how all colors are beautiful, and how what's inside matters more than what's outside.

These segments were direct, unapologetic, and way ahead of their time. They didn't treat racism as something that might exist somewhere else—they treated it as something kids were experiencing right now and needed tools to understand.

Why it matters now: We're still having these conversations. The Roosevelt Franklin segments (many of which are hard to find now, unfortunately) show that talking to kids about race doesn't have to be awkward or abstract. It can be straightforward, affirming, and age-appropriate.

Ages: 3+

When Buffy Sainte-Marie appeared on Sesame Street to breastfeed her baby, it was the first time breastfeeding had been shown on American television. Big Bird asks what she's doing, and Buffy explains simply and naturally that she's feeding her baby.

That's it. No big deal, no controversy within the episode itself—just a normal part of life, normalized.

Why it matters now: In an era where people still get harassed for nursing in public, this 1977 episode remains more progressive than much of current media. If you have a new baby and older siblings with questions, this clip is still a great conversation starter.

Ages: 2+

After being told he's "too big" for various activities, Big Bird decides to run away and find a place where he fits in. He meets a kid named Snuffy (before Snuffleupagus), and they talk about feeling like you don't belong.

Eventually, Big Bird realizes that home is where people love you, even when you're too big for the furniture.

Why it matters now: Every kid feels too big or too small or too different at some point. This episode validates that feeling without dismissing it, and shows that belonging isn't about fitting in perfectly—it's about being loved as you are.

Ages: 3+

Sesame Street tackled divorce multiple times, usually through human characters dealing with separation. These weren't after-school special moments—they were woven into regular episodes, showing kids experiencing normal feelings (sadness, confusion, anger) and adults helping them process.

What made these episodes work was their refusal to tie everything up neatly. Parents didn't get back together. Kids didn't suddenly feel "all better." But they did feel heard.

Ages: 4+

After September 11th, Sesame Street produced an episode addressing fire safety and fear. Elmo is scared of a fire at Hooper's Store, and the adults help him understand what firefighters do and how to stay safe.

It's not explicitly about 9/11—but it didn't need to be. Kids were scared of fire, scared of emergencies, scared of the fear they saw in adults. This episode gave them tools to process that fear.

Why it matters now: We're living through our own collective traumas. This episode models how to talk to kids about scary things happening in the world without overwhelming them with details they can't process yet.

Ages: 3+

The common thread through all of these isn't just that they tackled "hard topics." It's that they trusted kids to handle truth.

They didn't pretend that sad things don't happen, that adults are always right, that everything works out perfectly, or that there are easy answers to hard questions. They met kids where they were and said, "This is confusing and scary, and that's okay. Let's figure it out together."

That's what made Sesame Street revolutionary, and it's what keeps these episodes relevant decades later.

Many of these episodes are available on HBO Max (which has the Sesame Street streaming rights) or YouTube in various forms. Some are harder to find—the Roosevelt Franklin segments, in particular, aren't readily available, which is its own conversation about what gets preserved and what gets forgotten.

The Mr. Hooper death episode is widely available and worth watching even if your family isn't currently dealing with loss. It's a piece of television history, and it holds up.

Most of these episodes are appropriate for preschoolers (3-5), but context matters:

The beauty of Sesame Street is that kids will take what they need from these episodes. A 3-year-old might just enjoy the puppets. A 5-year-old might ask big questions. A 7-year-old might connect it to something happening in their own life.

These episodes aren't just nostalgia—they're a masterclass in how to talk to kids about real life. They show that you don't need to shield children from truth; you need to give them age-appropriate tools to process it.

If you're looking for shows that actually teach emotional intelligence, these Sesame Street episodes are the original blueprint. They prove that educational TV doesn't have to mean counting and colors—it can mean learning how to be a person in a complicated world.

And honestly? Some of us adults could use a rewatch too.