Sesame Street Videos Free on iTunes

The first great thing about the Sesame Street "Learn Along With Sesame" videos available for download on iTunes right now is that they're free. The second great thing is that they tackle some subjects of direct interest to children and families with special needs. One 20-minute offering, "A Is for Asthma," shows Elmo and Rosita learning what to do when a friend has trouble breathing. In "You Can Ask," a 42-minute video, "Elmo, Telly, and Big Bird present four stories that explore fear, loss, bullying, and differences. Their experiences can help parents and kids find positive ways to talk about their feelings together." Free videos, and an excuse to talk about feelings, too? That's a deal.

Also among the offerings are "Talk, Listen, Connect," which uses Elmo's sadness over his dad's departure as a way to help kids whose parents are on military deployment; "Happy, Healthy, Ready for School"; "Music Works Wonders"; and "Lead Away," in which "Oscar, Elmo and Rosita learn how to protect themselves from the dangers of lead." You'll need a video iPod to be able to tote these with you, but not to watch them -- as long as you have the iTunes software and a store account, you can download them and view them with your child right on the computer. If you don't have an iTunes account, follow the step-by-step for setting up a free one with no credit card or gift card needed.

• More Asthma Resources
• Use TV for Good