Many parents believe in creating healthy habits early, but it may find it overwhelming or challenging to get the kids to understand and adopt. What if kids looked forward to learning about health every day instead of seeing it as just another rule to follow?

Abbott and Sesame are changing how families think about health by turning everyday tasks into chances to play, have fun, and connect.

Health starts earlier than people think it does

Good health is shaped at home long before a doctor visit or a diagnostic test. The foods kids eat, how they move, how they sleep, and how comfortable they are with expressing their thoughts affect them more than what is visible to us.

The initiative focuses on early infancy as a very important time to build these foundations. Instead of using clinical jargon, the collaboration meets kids where they are—in stories, music, movement, and creativity. The goal is simple but important: to help families develop routines that support long-term health without causing stress or worry.
Elmo invites families to move, eat, and rest together.

The YouTube special episode has Elmo and his Sesame Street friends talk to the kids through song, dance, and soothing stories to teach them the basics of living a healthy life.
There are no lectures. Instead, kids are shown how easy it is to embrace food as fuel, understand how important it is to relax, and stay active. Parents and other caregivers are welcome to dance, laugh, and learn with their kids. During these moments of being together, keeping well becomes a family activity instead of just an individual one.

Tools not for perfect days, but for life

The alliance gives families with young children freely available, evidence-based programs that go beyond the screen. These include activity books, storybooks, and helpful guides that are meant to be used every day. Meant for youngsters aged three to five, they will also have an impact on a lot of other people as well.

A story before bed could help you relax and get into a good sleep pattern. A simple exercise can get people talking about their food choices without judging them. Families could feel like they're doing enough by taking small, regular measures.

Getting to know families where they live

This program avoids a one-size-fits-all model of health, recognising that families adapt guidance based on their own routines, resources, and cultural contexts.

In many places, the material has been adapted to work with local languages and systems. The idea is to get in touch with families where they are now, whether that means using mobile-friendly formats or downloaded activities. Health education becomes a conversation instead of a one-way message.

These activity books, stories and more include print and digital resources for children and caregivers, including:

Storybook — “Sun’s Up, Sun’s Down,” featuring healthy rhythms from a day in the life of Sesame Street’s furry friends and their families;

Activity book — “Healthy Together,” with five stand-alone printable activity sheets, focused on building and maintaining positive habits as a family;

Articles — Exploring what healthy means to different cultures, small steps that make a big difference, and tips for creating routines that last.

Making health guidance easier to understand and act on

Many preventable health conditions are being seen earlier in life, shaped by a combination of lifestyle, environment, and access to care. While awareness campaigns play an important role, long-term impact depends on approaches that reflect how families live, learn, and make health decisions in their everyday lives.

This partnership offers a different way to do things by combining Sesame Workshop's decades of experience in early childhood education with Abbott's science-based knowledge of health. It knows that just knowing things won't change behavior. It does this by connecting.

When health education is designed around play, curiosity, and reassurance, it becomes easier for families to translate guidance into daily routines.

Small things can have big effects

Big gestures don't usually have the most effect. It comes from calm periods, when a family eats together, a child dances in the living room, or a parent reads a story to their child before bed. Habits that are easy to incorporate in your daily life tend to have more impact than big commitments, that might be harder to adopt.

By making health easy to talk about, pleasant, and shared, the approach helps families build habits that last well beyond childhood.

Abbott has been at the forefront of preventing, diagnosing and treating chronic diseases for over a century. We are dedicated to building a healthier future for all by reducing the risk of chronic disease and the impact it has on families and communities around the world. Together, Abbott and Sesame Workshop are helping families everywhere build an early foundation for health.

“India is facing a significant health challenge as non-communicable diseases like diabetes and obesity are rising sharply among children and adolescents. Healthy habits start early. Together with Sesame Workshop, we’ve developed a program offering research-based resources to help families take small steps toward a healthier future.” - Poonam Sharma, Director, Global Citizenship & Sustainability, Abbott India

We’re thrilled to collaborate with Sesame Workshop, leaders in early childhood education, to make sure people of all ages are incorporating healthy practices into their daily lives.