Is your little one obsessed with Sesame Street? Just mentioning Elmo, Abby Cadabby, or Cookie Monster can send them into fits of giggles and excitement. If you’re planning a special surprise, like a trip to Beaches Resorts or a Sesame Street themed birthday party, building anticipation is half the fun! And what better way to count down the days than with a vibrant, engaging DIY Sesame Street countdown chain, complete with the iconic Sesame Street Font?
Like many parents, I learned early on that mentioning exciting upcoming events to toddlers requires a visual aid! My daughter became absolutely fixated on our Beaches Resorts vacation after I mentioned it months in advance. To make the abstract concept of “soon” more tangible, and to fuel her excitement for both our vacation and her Sesame Street birthday, I created a simple yet delightful Sesame Street countdown chain. This project not only served as a visual countdown but also became a fun, interactive craft we could enjoy together, all while showcasing the playful Sesame Street font.
This DIY project is incredibly versatile. Whether you’re counting down to a vacation at Beaches Resorts, a trip to Sesame Place, a birthday bash, or any special occasion, a Sesame Street countdown chain is guaranteed to build excitement. Initially, I envisioned an elaborate chain with daily rhymes and activities starting a month out. Life, as it often does, had other plans! So, we opted for a simpler, 10-day countdown, focusing on fun activities and the recognizable Sesame Street font to bring the magic of Sesame Street into our home.
Crafting Your Sesame Street Countdown Chain: A Step-by-Step Guide
Let’s dive into creating your own Sesame Street countdown chain. It’s easier than you might think and a fantastic way to spend quality crafting time with your kids.
Materials You’ll Need:
- Cardstock or Construction Paper: Choose bright, Sesame Street themed colors like red, blue, yellow, green, and orange.
- Printer: To print out the Sesame Street font and character faces (optional, you can also draw them!).
- Scissors: For cutting out shapes and chain links.
- Glue or Tape: To assemble the chain.
- Cricut or Craft Cutting Machine (Optional): Helpful for precise cuts, especially for the sun and character faces, but not essential.
- Seashells, Sand, Craft Sand Castles, and Crab Embellishments (Optional): To decorate the “beach” element of the countdown.
- Markers or Crayons: For adding extra details and personalization.
- Free Sesame Street Font & Printables: (Link provided below!)
Creating the Sun and Beach Base
Every countdown chain needs a starting point, and for our Sesame Street vacation countdown, a sunny beach scene was perfect!
- Sun: Cut out a large sun shape from yellow cardstock. A craft cutting machine can make this perfectly circular, but hand-cut suns are just as charming. You can also add rays using orange or yellow paper strips.
- Beach: Cut a half-circle shape from orange cardstock. This will be the base for your beach.
- Sand: Cut a slightly smaller half-circle from sand-colored paper. Layer this on top of the orange half-circle to create the “sand” portion of your beach.
- Sesame Street Picture: Print out a fun Sesame Street themed picture or a Beaches Resorts photo (approximately 3.5×5 inches). Cut this into a half-circle shape and attach it to the top of the sand layer, completing the beach scene.
Image showcasing the sun and beach base of the DIY Sesame Street countdown chain, perfect for building vacation excitement.
Leave the “beach” somewhat plain for now. As one of your countdown activities, you and your child can decorate it with seashells, craft sand castles, and crab embellishments, making it even more personalized and fun!
Crafting the Character Chain Links with Sesame Street Font
The chain links are where the real Sesame Street magic comes to life! Using the Sesame Street font adds an authentic touch that kids will instantly recognize and love.
- Prepare the Links: Cut strips of colored cardstock or construction paper, approximately 1 inch wide and 6-8 inches long (adjust length depending on desired chain size). You’ll need 10 links for a 10-day countdown, or more if you’re counting down for a longer period.
- Sesame Street Font Magic: This is where the Sesame Street font takes center stage! Download and print the Sesame Street font (link below!). Use this font to print the numbers 1 through 10 (or however many days you are counting down) onto each strip of paper. For an extra touch, print the first letter of each countdown activity in the Sesame Street font as well.
- Character Faces (Optional but Highly Recommended): To truly capture the Sesame Street spirit, add character faces to each link. You can find printable Sesame Street character faces online (or in our free printables!). Alternatively, draw simple character faces or use Sesame Street stickers. Attaching a different character to each day adds an element of surprise and delight.
- Assemble the Chain: Form each strip of paper into a loop and secure the ends with glue or tape to create a chain link. Before closing each link, attach the character face to the front of the link. Interlock the links to form your countdown chain, starting with link number 10 at the top and ending with link number 1.
Image displaying close-up of Sesame Street countdown chain links, each adorned with a different character face, enhancing visual appeal for children.
Pro-Tip: While I initially attempted to use a craft cutting machine for character faces, simpler methods like printing and cutting or using stickers are much easier and just as effective! Don’t get bogged down in complicated techniques – keep it fun and accessible for a joyful crafting experience.
Daily Countdown Activities: Making Each Day Special
The countdown chain isn’t just about visuals; it’s about creating daily moments of fun and anticipation! Attach a small piece of paper to the back of each chain link with a simple, exciting activity for each day. Here are some ideas inspired by our Sesame Street vacation countdown, incorporating the Sesame Street font on the activity slips for added flair:
(Remember to print these activity prompts using the Sesame Street Font for extra Sesame Street magic!)
- 10 Days to Go: “10 more days and we’ll be searching for sea shells on the beach with Abby! Let’s use sea shells and decorate the beach base we made.”
- 9 Days to Go: “How will we get to Beaches in Turks and Caicos? Let’s fly around like airplanes!”
- 8 Days to Go: “Big Bird’s waiting in Turks and Caicos to take you bird watching! Let’s research what kinds of birds we might see on the island.”
- 7 Days to Go: “Elmo’s hiding and it’s really cold. When you find him, he has a drink for you I’m told.” (Hide an Elmo toy with a special drink for your child to discover).
- 6 Days to Go: “Argh! A pirate party the first night we’re there at the biggest water park in the Caribbean. Let’s rustle up our pirate garb!” (Plan a mini pirate dress-up session).
- 5 Days to Go: “What about this vacation are you most excited about? Let’s draw a picture of it.”
- 4 Days to Go: “Oscar just finished reading all about Beaches Resort and Turks and Caicos. Now it’s our turn. Let’s grab a book and read about vacations!”
- 3 Days to Go: “Don’t forget your autograph books! Your Sesame Street friends can’t wait to sign their names in it.”
- 2 Days to Go: “I have a really big hunch, today’s fun is in your lunch.” (Pack a special Sesame Street themed lunch).
- 1 Day to Go: “Today’s the day!! Hooray, hooray!”
DIY Sesame Street Countdown Chain complete with character links
Free Sesame Street Font & Printables to Get You Started!
To make creating your Sesame Street countdown chain even easier, I’m sharing the Sesame Street font and printable character faces! You can download the Sesame Street font from here (a safe and reliable font website). Click the image below to access your free Sesame Street character printables and activity prompts, all formatted in the authentic Sesame Street font!
Download Your Free Sesame Street Printables Here!
Link to Sesame Street Printables
Sunny Days Ahead!
No matter what you’re counting down to, a DIY Sesame Street countdown chain, especially with the delightful Sesame Street font, is a guaranteed way to bring smiles and excitement to your home. Enjoy the crafting process, the daily activities, and the precious moments of anticipation with your little Sesame Street fans! Here’s to sunny days and happy countdowns!
Sesame Street character Abby Cadabby chain link
