Sesame Street
Sesame Street is one of the most beloved and thoroughly vetted educational series ever made, built to teach letters, numbers, and social-emotional skills to preschoolers. The 2015 era (Season 45, airing on PBS) is warm, gently paced, and essentially free of anything alarming — though a handful of episodes lean into big feelings like anxiety, frustration, and sadness in ways that are handled thoughtfully but may briefly touch tender-hearted little ones.
A perfect fit for children aged 2 and up; there is virtually no upper age limit on the comfort and joy it offers early learners.
Episodes to know about
This episode introduces 'anxious' as the Word on the Street and features a celebrity segment on the feeling; very sensitive children may briefly feel that anxiety is catching.
Season 45 weaves a strong social-emotional thread through many episodes, naming feelings like grouchiness, anxiety, and sadness — wonderful to watch and talk about together.
Oscar's dismissive grumpiness is more prominent here than usual; the episode also models how other characters respond to him with patience.