Kindness and inclusivity start at home and it’s never too early to start the conversation. As part of Sesame Workshop’s ongoing Coming Together initiative, new resources have launched specifically for military and veteran families. They emphasize racial justice, building a positive sense of identity, being an “upstander” and practicing self-care.
The content includes a special video featuring First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, a “Great Things” music video that highlights how military families can deal with “big feelings” and an “I Am Me” interactive game. You’ll also find professional development materials for work with military families and Sesame Workshop will partner with national military organizations to utilize these resources.
Previously, Sesame Workshop released content on the “ABC’s of Racial Literacy,” an ongoing initiative to help families talk about race and racism. You’ll find helpful videos, articles, printables and more so you can get everyone involved and engage even the youngest members of your family.
Five-year-old Wes and his father Elijah, first introduced in March, are back in two new videos. In “Proud of Your Eyes,” Wes helps his Filipino American friend Analyn process big feelings after she was teased about her eyes. In “Breathe, Feel, Share” Wes tells his family about getting teased for his lunch and they practice a simple coping strategy. You can also watch video featuring The Clutes, a Native family, that explores the ways families can talk to their kids about race and culture.
The kids in your home will enjoy printable activities, like “Welcome to Sesame Street, Wes and Elijah!” coloring pages and “I Am Somebody” cut-apart affirmation cards. And the grownups can read articles on “The 4 S’s of Anti-Racist Parenting” and “Racial Trauma and Responding to Racism.”
Sesame Street partnered with the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families and the National Black Child Development Institute to create these resources. You can find them for free in both English and Spanish online. Let’s come together at home to make the world a better place!
––Sarah Shebek
Featured image courtesy of Richard Termine, Sesame Street Workshop
What do you get when you combine Sesame Street and The Wiggles? Tons of fun!
Sesame Workshop, a nonprofit organization that backs Sesame Street, and The Wiggles have partnered up for a two-music video collaboration that honors the 80 years of children’s entertainment between the two shows. The first of the two videos is already available, so keep scrolling!
The “ABCs of Moving You” with Sesame Street and The Wiggles is an updated version of the Usher-sung song on Sesame Street. The second video will drop in June and will be a brand new version of the Wiggle hit, “Fruit Salad.”
“Collaborating with Sesame Street feels so natural and makes so much sense,” says Anthony Field, Blue Wiggle and founding member of The Wiggles. “We share the same desire to consistently make music that entertains and educates. It was particularly fun performing together on this Sesame Street classic.”
National Geographic recently announced an Earth Day celebration you won’t want to miss. The virtual planet-friendly party will be hosted by travel expert Jessica Nabongo, feature ethologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall—and so much more.
The Earth Day bash kicks off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Apr. 21 and will include an array of appearances from around the world. The line-up includes notable names, such as Angélique Kidjo, AURORA, José González, Maggie Rogers, Rostam, Valerie June, Willie Nelson, Yo-Yo Ma and Ziggy Marley.
Along with this lofty list of performers, My Morning Jacket will premiere their new music video during the virtual viewing party.
As if that’s not enough, Nat Geo’s Earth Day Eve remote party will also include a special preview of the new four-part Disney+ series Secrets of the Whales. National Geographic Explorer and photographer Brian Skerry will introduce the series. Narrated by actress Sigourney Weaver, Secrets of the Whales is available to view on Disney+ at 12:00 p.m. PT on Apr. 22.
National Geographic Chairman Gary Knell, said of the virtual event, in a press release, “For over 133 years, National Geographic has strived to inspire people to care more deeply for the planet. This Earth Day, we hope to provide that inspiration with a one-of-a-kind celebration that invites audiences everywhere to unite around the power of music.”
Knell added, “Our Earth Day Eve event—virtual and accessible to everyone—will showcase environmentally passionate artists from around the world together with some of National Geographic’s most extraordinary Explorers. From AURORA’s forest performance in Bergen, Norway, to Jane Goodall’s greeting from her home in England, the celebration will give us even more of a reason to fall in love with the place we all call home—and empower us to act to protect it.”
If you’re into the after-party scene, Nat Geo will host a second virtual event on its new TikTok account at 10:00 p.m. ET on Apr. 21. To watch the Earth Day Eve event, tune in on the National Geographic YouTube channel or visit the Nat Geo website here.
The Wiggles are celebrating a major milestone. With 30 years of magical music behind them, the band is looking towards the future with a new “Greatest Hits” album, featuring the awesomely inclusive song “We’re All Fruit Salad.”
Fans of the kiddo version of the fab four can get moving to the 40-track album. Available right now, the “Greatest Hits” compilation features songs spanning the crib-rock band’s three decades of music-making.
The 30-year anniversary compilation includes faves such as “Hot Potato,” “Toot Toot, Chugga Chugga Big Red Car,” “Do the Propeller!,” Rock-A-Bye Your Bear,” “Fruit Salad” and so much more!
Along with the OG (that is “Original Guys”), the “Greatest Hits” album also includes a diverse cast of guests, such as James Harkness, Jawan M. Jackson, Lou Diamond Phillips, Robert Rakete, Taylor Symone Jackson and Victor Valdes. Not only do the guests perform with the “Guys” on the album, but they also appear in an all-new Wiggles video for the track “We’re All Fruit Salad.”
Lucky fans down under can check out the band in a new tour. The Wiggles have already pre-sold 41,000 tickets in New Zealand as part of their Australian tour. Even though the band hasn’t announced U.S. dates, according to a press release, “As soon as it’s safe, the Wiggles plan to greet their legions of fans across North America in person.”
While you wait for the Wiggles to come to this side of the globe on tour, watch their new music video for “We’re All Fruit Salad” here and download the album here.
It was only a month ago that The LEGO Group and Universal Music Group (UMG) announced an exciting new product: LEGO VIDIYO. Now, the brands are revealing even more details, including the first range of minifigs!
LEGO VIDIYO, a unique music video maker experience, is the perfect outlet for kids to express themselves creatively through music and play. The app uses a collection of BeatBoxes, Bandmates, BeatBits and augmented reality for endless combinations of kid-created music videos.
First in the lineup of products are BeatBoxes. To start, LEGO has launched six unique portable BeatBoxes that each hold a minifigure that coincides with a specific music genre, a scanning-stage, two special BeatBits and 14 random BeatBits.
Each BeatBox can hold up to 16 BeatBits and comes with a building plate that can be customized with LEGO tiles. The first six sets include:
43102 ‘Candy Pop’ in the Candy Mermaid BeatBox (Pop)
43103 ‘Pirate Punk’ in the Punk Pirate Beatbox (Punk)
43104 ‘Alien DJ’ in the Extra Terrestrial Dance Music BeatBox (ETDM)
43105 ‘Party Llama’ in the Party Llama BeatBox (Tropicon)
43106 ‘Unicorn DJ’ in the Unicorn DJ BeatBox (K-pawp)
43107 ‘Robot Break-dancer’ in the HipHop Robot BeatBox (HipHop)
You can also shop 12 Bandmates in a range of Mystery-Boxes! Each one comes with one special BeatBit and two random BeatBits. Bandmates can be added to your VIDIYO band and include:
43101 Bandmates: Red Panda Dancer; Cotton Candy Cheerleader; Shark Singer; Bunny Dancer; Discowboy Singer; Genie Dancer; Samurapper; DJ Cheetah; Ice Cream Saxophonist; Alien Keytarist; Banshee Singer; Werewolf Drummer
So what are BeatBits? They are 2×2 tiles that resemble album covers and bring an endless combination of audio and visual effects to your video making experience. Amp up your music video by scanning the BeatBits and change up your dance movies, background, effects and more. For the first year, there will be 130 BeatBits to collect and use.
When it comes to adding the tunes to your experience, you will have around 30 songs to choose from UMG’s global artists. Select from chart toppers, classics and your fave dance numbers from within the app, then seamlessly add to your video. The best part? Each song has been programmed to work perfectly with all the BeatBits!
You’ll need the LEGO VIDIYO app to get started creating videos. Head to the LEGO website to access options for both Android and Apple, and download it for free.
Once kids are in the app, they can choose the music, scan their LEGO minifigs and BeatBits and then bring them to life. From clothing, band names and album covers, each step is fully customizable and can result in a 60 second video. With over 1,400 unlockable elements, there is no end to your kids creativity.
Last but not least UMG label, Astralwerks, announced the signing of a new artist: a live action, human version of the DJ Llama minifigure from the Tropicon BeatBox. L.L.A.M.A is not tied to any one type of music genre and his debut single “Shake” will be released on Fri. Feb. 19. It features three-time GRAMMY winner NE-YO and Carmen DeLeon.
LEGO VIDIYO products launch on Mar. 1 on lego.com and at LEGO retailers. BeatBoxes will retail for $19.99 and Collectible Bandmates for $4.99 each.
Extra, extra––read all about it! The LEGO Group and Universal Music Group (UMG) have teamed up for their first collaboration and it’s bringing the brickmaker and global industry leader in music together in a special way.
Introducing LEGO VIDIYO, “a playful and innovative music video maker experience designed to celebrate and expand children’s creativity and passion for music.” The new app lets kids dream up, direct, produce, star and share their own music videos using tunes from UMG’s chart topping artists.
Perfect for kids ages seven to 10, LEGO VIDIYO offers a safe space for them to “travel” the world and experiment with music. The app brings new technology with the LEGO System in Play and pairs it with music from all over the world so kiddos can creatively express themselves.
LEGO VIDIYO requires verified parental consentand external moderation of all content shared to the App feed for ultimate parent confidence.
The new app is packed with music, augmented reality, minifigures and other iconic LEGO elements. Kids have tons of editing options which can be unlocked through “Beat Bits,” a special effect.
To get started, download the free app (which will be available for Android and Apple users starting Feb. 16) and then young creators will choose a song. Next, create a band from new minifigs which can be customized and brought to life using AR technology.
Let LEGO VIDIYO scan your location in just three seconds and you’ve got the perfect background. Next, get those “Beat Bits” going–– 2×2 square LEGO elements that unlock digital effects when scanned. Options for special effects include audio effects, confetti showers and even surfing on a shark!
Record up to a 60 second performance then trim down to your liking before uploading to the App feed. Kids videos will undergo moderation with the caveat that any content featuring personally-identifiable information won’t be approved for App feed upload. However, these videos can be stored in-App and shared with fam and friends.
To keep it fresh, LEGO VIDIYO will add new music, challenges, and inspirational content often. Keep an eye out––you can start getting your hands on the new products in most countries starting Mar. 1.
Your little ones will be so excited to tune in. Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD are spreading holiday cheer with new themed programming including festive episodes of DuckTales, Disney Fam Jam, Puppy Dog Pals and a one-hour special episode of Raven’s Home. The episodes will premiere Sat., Nov. 28 and continue airing throughout the month of December.
Additional highlights include the animated special The Snowy Day, based on the beloved children’s book by Ezra Jack Keats, and two Random Rings animated shorts featuring ZOMBIES 2 stars Chandler Kinney and Trevor Tordjman.
DisneyNOW will also present a collection of new and existing holiday-themed episodes, movies and short-form content beginning Fri., Nov. 27. Also included in DisneyNOW are holiday-themed levels of favorite games launching Tue., Dec. 1 and a new “Mickey’s Holiday Party” mini-game debuting each day throughout the month of December.
Saturday, November 28
Snowsnaps – “Gone to the Dogs” (Short-form)
Violet and Tomas challenge Kiki and Sami to a dogsled.
8:55 a.m. ET/PT on Disney Junior
Sunday November 29
“Put The Happy In The Holidays” Music Video
Disney Channel stars come together and sing “Put The Happy In The Holidays” a festive and upbeat holiday song to bring joy to kids and families around the world. The lively music video, filled with holiday cheer, will feature ZOMBIES 2 stars Meg Donnelly, Chandler Kinney and Trevor Tordjman plus Raven’s Home stars Navia Robinson, Sky Katz, Issac Ryan Brown and Sydney to the Max star Ruth Righi.
Airing on Disney Channel and DisneyMusicVEVO
Monday, November 30
Chuggington: Tales from the Rails – “Chugging Home for the Holidays”
Wilson, Koko, and Brewster visit San Locomota to experience Rosa’s holiday traditions.
8:15 a.m. ET/PT on Disney Junior and in DisneyNOW
Vampirina – “The Fright Before Christmas” / “Scared Snowman”
In the first story of the episode, Vampirina plans a spooky scare in the hopes of attracting Spooky Claus so that her family can enjoy a festive Transylvanian Christmas. Then, when the Abominable Snowman arrives at the Scare B&B after a big snowstorm, Vee and her friends help him overcome his fears.
Chris Sullivan (This Is Us) guest stars as Steve, the Abominable Snowman
11:00 a.m. ET/PT on Disney Junior and in DisneyNOW
DuckTales – “How Santa Stole Christmas!”
Scrooge teams up with his archrival, Santa Claus, to save Christmas, while Webby discovers the true history behind their infamous feud. *Hugh Bonneville (“Downton Abbey”) guest stars as Santa Claus.
7:00 p.m. ET/PT on Disney XD and in DisneyNOW
Friday, December 4
Puppy Dog Pals – “A Christmas Mission in Toyland” / “Nine Lights Tonight!”
In the first story, Auggie and Mo help recite their naptime Christmas story when the pages of their book go missing. In the second story, Bingo and Rolly go on a mission to help Santa and Mrs. Claus replace the lights on their friend’s Hanukkiah.
Henry Winkler (Happy Days) returns as Santa.
9:00 a.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel and in DisneyNOW
The Snowy Day
Based on the award-winning book by Ezra Jack Keats. Peter goes on a magical, snowy walk to his Nana’s house to bring home their Christmas Eve dinner.
11:00 a.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel
Piney: The Lonesome Pine
A cheerful girl grows a talking pine to be her Christmas tree, but when he’s accidentally removed from her grandfather’s Christmas tree farm, the family dog leads him on a journey across the countryside while the girl and her grandpa search to get them home before Christmas.
7:00 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Junior and in DisneyNOW
Disney Holiday Magic Quest
Virtually hosted by Raven-Symoné, features ZOMBIES 2 stars Milo Manheim, Kylee Russell, Ariel Martin and Pearce Joza competing in a high-stakes, holiday adventure inside Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort after dark. The stars will navigate a series of challenges and obstacles through iconic Disney attractions, including the Haunted Mansion and Cinderella Castle, in an attempt to restore the holiday magic that was stolen by famed Disney villains Maleficent and Evil Queen. As stars compete for the grand prize, proceeds will be donated to Toys for Tots, a nonprofit organization that delivers hope and the magic of the holidays to less fortunate children.
8:00 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel and in DisneyNOW day after
Disney Fam Jam – “Jolly Holidance”
Ariel Martin and Trevor Tordjman host the family dance competition as two holiday-obsessed families dance it out to their favorite seasonal songs and become the “Disney Fam Jam” champions. Choreographer Phil Wright lends his expertise to help the Villalobos and Mucha families incorporate their creativity and holiday tradition into their routines.
8:45 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel and in DisneyNOW
Saturday, December 5
Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir – “Chris Master”
Nino’s little brother transforms into Chris Master and sends giant toys out to wreak havoc throughout Paris, looking for Santa Claus.
8:00 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel and in DisneyNOW
Sunday, December 6
Challenge Accepted! Disney Channel’s Epic Holiday Showdown
Centers around Santa and Mrs. Claus, played by Entertainment Tonight’s Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner, respectively, as they enlist the help of Disney Channel stars to save the holidays from Ebenezer Scrooge (Raven’s Home star Anneliese van der Pol). The stars will take on a series of zany holiday-themed challenges to lift her evil curse on Christmas. The special will include a performance by ZOMBIES 2 star Meg Donnelly with one lucky fan, and a show-stopping number by global pop group “Now United.” Also starring Milo Manheim, Chandler Kinney, Trevor Tordjman, Kylee Russell, Issac Ryan Brown, Navia Robinson, Sky Katz, Jason Maybaum, Mallory Mahoney, Raphael Alejandro, Will Buie Jr., Christian J. Simon, Ruth Righi, Ava Kolker and Ramon Reed.
7:00 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel and in DisneyNOW day after
Monday, December 7
Oddbods – “The Festive Menace”
T’was the night before Christmas and trouble is brewing, Santa’s gone bad and it’s the Oddbods doing.
7:00 p.m. ET/PT on Disney XD and in DisneyNOW
Tuesday, December 8
Random Rings – “Cricket Pranks Chandler” (Short-form)
Cricket pretends to be Santa Claus and tells Chandler Kinney (Zombies 2) she’s on Santa’s naughty list, unless she mails Cricket a bunch of money.
Airing on Disney Channel and Disney Channel YouTube
Friday, December 11
Bluey – “Christmas Swim”
Bluey gets a new teddy for Christmas and introduces him to the whole family. But the family plays too rough with him and now he wants to go home. Until Frisky convinces him to stay.
10:30 a.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel and in DisneyNOW
Disney Channel Holiday House Party
Features Disney Channel stars, remotely from their homes, delivering a holiday sketch comedy show for kids and families. Hosted by Miranda May (BUNK’D), the ensemble of comedic actors will deck the halls with a variety of wacky characters and hilarious sketches, including a Gen Z influencer take on a Charles Dickens classic, a Disney Wand ID fail and a High School Musical throwback. Starring are Raphael Alejandro, Suzi Barrett, Issac Ryan Brown, Kylie Cantrall, Scarlett Estevez, Kaylin Hayman, Ramon Reed, Trevor Tordjman, Ruby Rose Turner and Tobie Windham.
8:00 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel and in DisneyNOW day after
Just Roll With It – “The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year”
When Rachel is put in charge of running Beatz 101’s charity Christmas telethon and the starring act’s props and costumes are mysteriously destroyed right before the show, Owen takes it upon himself to uncover the mystery of “who dunnit.”
8:25 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel and in DisneyNOW
Monday, December 14
“Vampirina” – “New Century’s Eve” / “Bridget to the Brave”
In the first story of the episode, Vampirina and her family celebrate New Century’s Eve and learn that following their resolutions is harder than they thought. Then, Bridget finds a spell book in the attic and accidently casts a spell that makes her fearsome instead of fearless.
11:00 a.m. ET/PT on Disney Junior and in DisneyNOW
Tuesday, December 15
Random Rings “Tilly Tests Trevor” (Short-form)
Tilly is making her very own Christmas movie and wants to cast Trevor Tordjman (“Zombies 2”) as Santa Claus, but Gramma Alice challenges Trevor to prove he’s worthy of the role.
Airing on Disney Channel, and Disney Channel YouTube
Friday, December 18
Raven’s Home One-hour Holiday Episode – “Mad About Yuletide”
It’s Christmas Eve and the Baxter/Grayson family are trying to make the best of the holiday when a storm hits and disrupts their plans to celebrate together at a cabin on the lake. Snowed in at three different places – Raven and Chelsea are lost in a snow tunnel, dads Devon and Garrett are stuck at the cabin and the kids are home alone – they all must lean on each other to help keep their inner “Christmas Cray” alive!
8:00 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel and in DisneyNOW
Sunday, December 27
Fancy Nancy – “New Year’s Nancy” / “Nancy’s Gift to Grandpa”
In the first story of the episode, Nancy wants to stay up until midnight on New Year’s Eve, but finds that staying awake is harder than she thought. Then, to cheer up Grandpa on a wintry day, Nancy draws a masterpiece in chalk on the driveway.
Kal Penn and Aparna Nancherla (both from Disney’s Mira, Royal Detective) return as Mr. and Mrs. Singh. George Wendt (Cheers) returns as Nancy’s Grandpa.
12:00 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Junior and in DisneyNOW
That’s how you know it’s Halloween! It’s time to get your little ones excited for all the fun there is to come. Disney Junior has a fun new music video featuring the theme song for Mickey’s Trick or Treats October programming event.
The month-long event includes a series of interstitials hosted by Mickey, the debut of four brand-new Halloween music videos and premieres of some of your favorite Disney Junior shows — Puppy Dog Pals, T.O.T.S. and Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures.
Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures “The Mystery of Hot Dog Lake!/Phantom Wing” premieres Fri., Oct. 2 at 8:30 a.m. ET. Pete thinks he sees a legendary creature known as the ‘Scronchasaur’ in Hot Dog Hills Lake. Legendary musician Alice Cooper returns as the voice of Alistair Coop De Ville.
T.O.T.S. “A Spooky Delivery” premieres Oct. 2 at 9:00 a.m. ET. Pip and Freddy try to help JP get into the Halloween spirit.
Puppy Dog Pals “221B Barker Street” premieres Oct. 2 at 9:30 a.m. ET. When treats go missing from the Puppy Playcare Halloween party, Bingo and Rolly set off on a mission to solve the mystery.
Starting Oct. 2 the DisneyNOW app will have a Halloween-themed suite of games including pumpkin carving and a haunted house matching game.
Christina Aguilera is going back to her Disney roots. Her new music video for the 2020 version of “Reflection” from the new live-action Mulan debuted today. Twenty-two years later, the notes are still big and just as amazing.
Aguilera performs the newly-recorded “Reflection” in the music video directed by “Mulan feature director Niki Caro (The Zookeeper’s Wife, McFarland, USA).
Starting Sept. 4, with Premier Access, you can watch Mulan before it’s available to all Disney+ subscribers. Disney+ will offer Premier Access to “Mulan” for $29.99 on disneyplus.com. Once you have Premier Access to Mulan, you can watch as many times as you want on any platform where Disney+ is available.
“Reflection (2020)” is produced by Mulan composer Harry Gregson-Williams. The original 1998 classic was written by David Zippel and Matthew Wilder.
Music from Reflection and the new original song Loyal Brave True are featured in Gregson-Williams’ underscore with Aguilera’s full-length versions appearing in the film’s custom main-on-end title design. Both songs are featured in the movie and on the Walt Disney Records soundtrack, with score composed and conducted by Gregson-Williams.
We are anxiously awaiting the premiere of the new live-action Mulan. Disney+ just released the music video for the original song “Loyal Brave True” performed by Christina Aguliera. This is quite fitting as Aguliera sang the title song, “Reflection” from the original animated film.
In addition to “Loyal Brave True,” Aguilera will also perform a newly-recorded “Reflection (2020).”
Both songs will be featured in the film and on the Walt Disney Records soundtrack, with score composed and conducted by Harry Gregson-Williams, set for release on Sept. 4, 2020. You will be able to stream Mulan on Sept. 4 exclusively on Disney+ with Premier Access (Disney+ subscription and additional fee required).