| Category | Details |
| Title | Be Kind to Your Worm |
| Season & Episode | Season 47, Episode 4701 (Season Premiere) |
| Main Muppet Characters | Oscar the Grouch, Slimey, Elmo, Telly, Fluffy the Elephant |
| Human Guest(s) | Alan, Nina |
| Letter of the Day | K (for Kindness) |
| Number of the Day | 1 |
| Theme | Showing kindness to pets and best friends. |
| Lessons & Themes | Empathy, the joy of making others happy (even if it makes you "grouchy"), and the meaning of "home." |
| Key Segments | Elmo's World: Kindness (Debut of the new format). |
| Air Date | January 14, 2017 (HBO) / September 18, 2017 (PBS) |
Episode 4701 Summary:
Sesame Street celebrates Be Kind to Your Worm Day. Oscar the Grouch brings Slimey to a garden party hosted by Nina. Oscar dislikes activities such as Worm Peek-a-Boo and the Wiggledy Worm dance. He participates, though, to make Slimey happy. Slimey considers living in the garden. Meanwhile, Oscar packs his trash can to leave Sesame Street forever. The friends reunite. Home means being together.
Parent's Guide:
Love sometimes means doing things you don't like so your partner will be happy. Oscar wants to go to the dump. Slimey feels sad and gives up on the idea. Instead, he takes Oscar to the worm party in the garden.
Oscar feels good because Slimey is happy. However, being grumpy makes him even more irritated. This creates a funny contradiction. Making someone else happy makes you feel good, too. Seeing your loved ones smile touches your soul. Doing good beautifies the inner world of both parties.
Sometimes, you have to follow meaningless rules to belong to a community. Participating means being present with your whole heart. When Nina starts the game, Oscar refuses at first. But when Slimey becomes unhappy, Oscar joins the game for his sake.
Thinking that Slimey will stay in the garden, Oscar decides to leave Sesame Street. Without his best friend, the trash can is worthless. A house becomes a home with the loved ones inside it. If your friend isn't by your side, you may give up your favorite place.
People who seem tough have deep compassion. Show your love through hugs and kind words. Expressing your feelings takes courage. In the end, Oscar and Slimey are reunited. Oscar is moved and hugs Slimey in front of everyone. He clearly shows his love.
Oscar thinks Slimey wants to stay in the garden. But Slimey is just having fun. His real home is with his friend. The decisions you make for your loved ones may not align with their wishes. Assuming without asking can lead to separation. Talk to each other about what you want. This is the healthiest approach.
