| Category | Details |
| Title | The Kindness Kid |
| Season & Episode | Season 47, Episode 4702 |
| Main Muppet Characters | Grover, Elmo, Rosita, Abby Cadabby, Big Bird, Cookie Monster |
| Human Guest(s) | Zachary Levi (The Kindness Kid), Tori Kelly, Chris, Nina |
| Letter of the Day | K (for Kindness) |
| Number of the Day | 18 |
| Theme | The effort and intention behind being kind. |
| Lessons & Themes | Understanding that "trying" to help is an act of kindness in itself, even if things don't go perfectly. |
| Key Segments | Smart Cookies (The Snickerdoodle), Elmo's World: Kindness, Tori Kelly: "Try a Little Kindness." |
| Air Date | January 7, 2017 (HBO) / September 21, 2017 (PBS) |
Summary
The Kindness Kid shows up on Sesame Street. Zachary Levi plays the hero. He wants to show everyone that being kind is nice. Elmo helps Mrs. Crustworthy carry her groceries. Grover tries to find a way to be kind. He messes up the Hawaiian Cat Dance. He wakes Big Bird with a megaphone while trying to keep the area quiet. Grover feels like a failure. There was a messy accident at Hoopers Store. The Kindness Kid says that the reason behind the action is what matters most.
Parent's Guide
Grover feels like a failure after spilling gumballs and getting a pie in the face. The Kindness Kid cheers him up. Your constant desire to help makes you a natural. Things go wrong even when you do your best. Accidents happen when you're helping someone out. The rightness of an action depends on the desire to do good. Being perfect isn't necessary to be kind. Trying is an act of love. It's better to put in the effort and make an effort to do your best, even if it doesn't turn out perfectly.
Being kind for real means paying attention and having empathy. You've got to understand what someone else needs. Just remember that help might not be helpful if it causes stress or noise. Listening is the first step of a kind act. Look at the situation from the outside to understand what's really going on. Grover tries to protect Big Bird's nap by shouting through a megaphone. This is keeping Big Bird up at night. The Kindness Kid uses a soft lute to lull him to sleep instead.
The Kindness Kid is always ready for a kindness rescue. He carries things like tuna for a cat or a lute for a friend. He's always thinking ahead about how to help others. Being kind is easier when you prepare. Having the right tools or emotional skills lets you step in during a crisis. If you can anticipate your community's needs, you'll be a reliable friend.
Kindness is a mindset you carry all day. It's great for big things like carrying heavy groceries for thirty blocks. It's useful for small things like sharing paper. The Kindness Kid is on a mission to find opportunities to be nice. Chris and Grover practice this mindset by cleaning the store together.
The Smart Cookies team works together to find clues. They identify a rectangular item made from trees. They put the Snickerdoodle on hold and tidy up the house for Mother's Day. Kindness looks like collaboration. Join others to solve a problem or provide a missing piece. Two people can get the job done faster than one person working alone.
If you mess up, try again. Don't let a pie in the face rain on your parade. Grover doesn't give up after the gumball fiasco. He takes a shower and then helps Chris finish cleaning.
