Headspace, a global leader in meditation and mindfulness, and Sesame Workshop, have launched a new podcast project that uses meditation and mindfulness techniques to help children relax during their bedtime routines.
The first episode will launch on June 13, 2021 with 11 subsequent episodes launching every Sunday through August 29.
Developed by a team of early childhood and meditation experts at Sesame Workshop and Headspace, Goodnight, World! looks to help children practice transitioning from their active days to naptime or bedtime. Each episode includes: a wind-down story narrated by a rotating cast of Sesame Street friends; a “sleep journey” led by one of Headspace’s sleepcast readers, and a soothing soundscape of music and relaxing sounds that evoke places like Big Bird’s nest and Abby Cadabby’s fairy garden.
“Maintaining healthy routines helps young children understand their world and feel secure – especially this year, when we’ve all experienced so much upheaval and disruption,” said Gabriela Arenas, Sesame Workshop’s vice president of licensing, North America.
“Even beyond bedtime and naptime, mindfulness is a powerful tool to help kids calm their bodies and regulate their emotions, skills that set them up for success in school and in life. We’re thrilled to work with Headspace to make the practice accessible to families everywhere.”
Episodes of Goodnight, World! are structured to follow families through a typical bedtime routine. In the opening stories, Sesame Street characters model the same feelings of reluctance that many kids experience before bedtime – and tap into the same mindfulness strategies described later in the episodes.
Guided “sleep journey” meditations use techniques like belly breathing, visualizations, and affirming self talk to help kids independently manage the transition from waking time to bedtime.
“Teaching kids the fundamentals of mindfulness and meditation that they can use not only at nap and bedtime, but any time of day, is critical in helping them grow and is at the core of our mission to improve the health and happiness of the world. That’s why we’re so excited to expand our resources for families through our partnerships with Sesame Workshop and Random House Books for Young Readers,” said Morgan Selzer, VP Content at Headspace.
Headspace and Sesame Workshop are also working with Random House Children’s Books to adapt their successful Sesame Street Monster Meditation series of animated shorts into a six-volume series of board books for children aged two to five years old.
The books will include the same characters, themes, and plotlines as the popular videos, which have been viewed more than 30 million times to date. The series launches with Sesame Street Monster Meditation: Being Patient with Cookie Monster on June 29, 2021, and continues with Sesame Street Monster Meditation: Getting Ready for Bed with Elmo on September 28, 2021.
More books are planned for 2022.
“Sesame Workshop and Headspace have created something truly exceptional with their Sesame Street Monster Meditation video series,” said Sonali Fry, VP and director of classic brands and preschool publishing, Random House Children’s Books.
“Through entertaining stories that feature fan-favorite Sesame Street characters, they provide young children with valuable mindfulness techniques. We are excited to continue their mission through our new collection of board book adaptations, which will introduce emergent readers to a variety of helpful meditation exercises for every occasion.”
