As children’s technology skills become more advanced, the world will need to come up with new ways to entertain and educate them. One company has moved to the forefront of educational technology. Microsoft announced a unique partnership with Sesame Street at the Consumer Electronics Show to have Sesame’s programming work in conjunction with Kinect devices. Kinect’s controller tracks motion and is based on gestures from the user. This new technology will allow preschoolers to interact with the television when Sesame Street is on the screen.

A demonstration was given where a girl pretended to throw objects at a television that has been equipped with the Kinect device. On the screen you can see a Sesame character catching the objects. If a child did not want to participate, other puppets on the screen would then become involved in the activity. Users can also “draw” shapes and colors in Elmo’s World with their movements while creatures on the screen talk to them. Not only does this project demonstrate great innovation from Microsoft, but it is helping Sesame Street reach out to young ones through education and activity.