The Gift of Giggles: YolanDa Brown and Sesame Street’s Elmo celebrate World Laughter Day with British school children

Musician, broadcaster and Place2Be Ambassador YolanDa Brown OBE DL and Sesame Street’s Elmo foster positivity and build a sense of belonging in their new video.

Following their ‘Mindfulness Moment’ virtual playdate together last year, YolanDa invited her Sesame Street friend Elmo to visit her in the UK. Together with young pupils from Place2Be partner school St John's CE Primary School in East London they enjoy a laughter-fuelled, giggle-filled playdate, sharing some of their favourite jokes.

This sweet video highlights themes of friendship, connection, and finding joy — all vital components of happy, healthy childhoods that help establish good habits for life from early on.

Learning the art and nuance of joke-telling is a creative process that supports children’s development. It promotes thought and reasoning, builds concentration, enhances communication skills, nurtures imagination, and encourages a playfulness that can aid creative problem-solving and a growth mindset. In turn, all of this helps children build up a positive sense of self.

As YolanDa and Sesame Street mark World Laughter Day, they are also creating a sense of belonging, as they encourage children — and the adults around them — to embrace the enjoyment of laughing together.

"As a musician and presenter, I’ve come to truly value the power of listening, just as much as performing. It’s so important to give children our full attention by listening actively and responding to them. As they share their jokes or stories with us we’re welcomed into their world, their experiences and their unique perspective," says YolanDa.

Whilst this video moment focuses on the playful light-heartedness of childhood, its release comes at a time when many children are gearing up for school tests, such as SATs and young people are facing the pressure of exams.

“Laughter can be a great way to relieve stress and improve mood”, says Dr Rebecca Kirkbride, Place2Be’s Clinical Director. “Whilst sharing a joke or funny story helps us connect with others and can help us feel happier, laughter can also make it easier to cope with difficult situations. This is particularly relevant in the current climate, where more and more children are struggling with anxiety and worry.”

“As part of our ongoing Gift of Giggles campaign and years-long initiative supporting children’s emotional wellbeing, Sesame Workshop continues to create heartwarming, feel-good content that cultivates positivity and helps foster a healthy mental state for children around the world,” says Dr. Rosemarie Truglio, Senior Vice President, Curriculum and Content, Sesame Workshop.

_{Sesame Street is available to watch on Amazon Kids+ in the UK or you can watch clips on the Sesame YouTube channel.}

Check out YolanDa and Elmo's 2024 virtual playdate

About World Laughter Day

World Laughter Day is celebrated annually on the first Sunday of May to promote laughter and its positive impact, fostering a global sense of unity and friendship. 

World Laughter Day was established by Dr. Madan Kataria in 1998, in Mumbai, India. Dr. Kataria is the founder of both the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement and World Laughter Day. 

He encouraged people to join laughter groups and to meet up in public spaces and parks to laugh together. More than 12,000 people turned up to the first event in Mumbai; and since then, joy and laughter have been spread all around the world.

“Laughter has no language, you know Japanese, French, Italian, we all laugh in the same way. So this is a great way to bring everybody together without the bias of any language.” — Dr Madan Kataria