Elmo Highlighted Climate Impact on Children
The Sesame Street character appeared at a Climate Week event to discuss how extreme weather affects kids.
Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in Severe Weather
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Elmo participated in the Big Storms, Big Feelings event in New York City on Tuesday, September 23, 2026. The appearance coincided with the release of new research regarding how children experience extreme heat and flooding.
Why it matters
The event highlighted the specific ways global heating impacts children, who are increasingly facing disruptions to their routines and communities. It also focused on providing tools for families to communicate about environmental challenges.
A Sesame Workshop survey identified that children are affected by extreme heat, flooding, and routine disruptions. The organization also offers climate communication advice for an age range spanning from 5 to 95.
The players
Elmo
Elmo is a 3.5-year-old Muppet character from Sesame Street known for his high-pitched voice and third-person speech patterns.
Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street that produces content to help children grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.
Post Malone
Post Malone is a prominent musician and singer-songwriter who appeared in a Sesame Street episode featuring a storm.
The details
Sesame Workshop conducted the study to better understand how parents and children perceive and process extreme weather events. During the discussion, officials emphasized that even young children are participating in small-scale environmental actions, such as planting trees, to help manage their feelings about the climate.
Timeline
Tuesday, September 23, 2026: Elmo appeared at the Big Storms, Big Feelings Climate Week event.
Seasonal Patterns
This event follows the pattern of the Sesame Workshop climate education initiatives, which seek to frame environmental shifts in ways accessible to young children. It marks a departure from traditional media portrayals by directly addressing the anxiety children feel toward changing weather.
Parents can utilize resources from Sesame Workshop to help children process complex feelings regarding extreme heat and severe weather events. Engaging in small-scale, positive environmental activities like planting trees can provide children with a sense of agency and routine.
The takeaway
Helping children understand extreme weather is becoming a priority for educational organizations as climate events grow more frequent. Open communication and small, actionable steps can help mitigate the stress children feel during these disruptions.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in Severe Weather.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Guardian.
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