From the Toysit archive
Sesame Street TV Games and the Drum Controller
A colorful Sesame Street drum-shaped television controller, with character-led play and an original neighborhood rhythm-postcard activity.
The play at a glance
A little neighborhood with a beat
Two bright pads sit above green drums, with Cookie Monster and Elmo looking out from the front. Yellow trim gives the controller the cheerful look of a tiny musical instrument, while the familiar Sesame Street sign joins the two sides. It is an inviting starting point for a television visit with familiar characters—and for a small rhythm story of your own.
Characters give a game its setting
The earlier account describes a range of Sesame Street games built around familiar faces: Grover and the alphabet, Big Bird and farm animals, and music with Bert and Ernie. Those scenes give a reader a way to picture the appeal—a recognizable character offers a task, and the player becomes part of the little story.
The photographed controller adds another visual invitation. Its large red and blue surfaces suggest two contrasting beats, and the characters make the hardware feel like part of the neighborhood. The wider archive also discusses Wii games; each format has its own controls and instructions.
Try neighborhood rhythm postcards
Fold a sheet of paper into four panels and draw four imaginary neighborhood stops: a bakery, a garden gate, a library window and a bus shelter. Give each place a tiny welcome message. A bakery visitor might hear, “The moon-shaped rolls are ready!”
Next, choose two marks for a rhythm: a filled circle means a gentle fingertip tap on the paper, and an open circle means a quiet pause. Put a short pattern beside each drawing. Tap the bakery’s greeting, leave its pause, and then speak the welcome message. A companion can point to the next stop.
Change one pattern and listen to how the greeting feels different. The library might welcome a visitor with two slow taps; the bus shelter might have a tap, a pause and one last tap. Play seated at a table with the controller resting elsewhere. The drawings and rhythms are your own additions to the neighborhood.
Keep the original television format in view
The photograph shows a cable with yellow and white AV plugs. Before connecting a surviving unit, an adult should identify its exact model and follow its own instructions for power and television inputs. The paper postcard game is ready whenever you want to make a neighborhood story.
The historical record
Original Toysit coverage
The complete earlier product account and commentary are preserved below as historical coverage.
Entertaining and educational
Sesame Street video games come in a variety of formats, from the Wii platform all the way to the plug and play Jakks system which requires no game system at all. Beloved Sesame Street characters guide children as they learn how to match colors and letters. Grover dances through the alphabet and you help him along. Big Bird returns stray animals to the farm. You can follow along the music and bang on drums with Bert and Ernie. Video games from Sesame Street.
Sesame Street holds a special place in the hearts of both children and adults, largely due to its unique blend of education and entertainment. Since its debut in 1969, the show has been lauded for its innovative approach to children's programming, using puppetry, animation, and live-action skits to teach fundamental skills like numeracy, literacy, and social awareness. Characters like Elmo, Big Bird, and Cookie Monster are not just entertaining but also relatable, each offering life lessons that resonate with viewers of all ages. Beyond ABCs and 123s, Sesame Street tackles complex issues such as diversity, inclusion, and even grief, in a way that is accessible and comforting to children. Its catchy songs, memorable characters, and valuable life lessons create a multi-generational appeal that has stood the test of time. The show's impact extends beyond the screen, influencing educational standards and contributing to academic research, making it a beloved institution in global culture.
Sources and editorial notes
The original photograph and account support this drum-shaped JAKKS television-game profile. JAKKS’s April 20, 2006 announcement names Sesame Street among its TV Games launches; it does not identify this exact controller. Sesame Street Beat/model 59085 remains a discovery lead: original model labeling and a matching operating manual were not recovered. The older text surveys several formats, so its named character activities are retained as reported examples, not a verified menu for the pictured unit. Broad educational claims remain historical commentary. The postcard activity is original to Toysit. No physical or display-compatibility testing was performed.
- Original Toysit image — Existing same-site image reviewed and retained unchanged.
- JAKKS Pacific: April 20, 2006 announcement (PDF) — Manufacturer text on PDF page 6 reviewed through the web reader; Sesame Street TV Games line context only. Direct retrieval returned 403.
- Original Toysit coverage — Complete historical account retained, including its original claims and wording.
Images and descriptions are retained as historical material. How Toysit covers toys.
Created for Toysit by Tabbloza — the artwork in our header.