| Category | Details |
| Episode Number | 0131 (Season 2 Premiere) |
| Air Date | November 9, 1970 |
| Significant Change | Oscar the Grouch's fur is now Green |
| New Muppets | Herry Monster, Sherlock Hemlock |
| New Human Cast | Larry and Phyllis (replacing Buddy and Jim) |
| Letters of the Day | J, N, Q, U, M, G, K |
| Numbers of the Day | 1, 2, 3, 20 |
| Key Song | "Everyone Makes Mistakes" |
| Celebrity Guests | Arte Johnson, Bill Cosby, Carol Burnett, stars of Bonanza |
| Primary Theme | Family, Mistakes, and Physical Differences |
| Muppet Highlights | Cookie Monster eats the letter J; Grover sings in the forest |
| Sponsors | J, Q, 2 |
Summary
The second season kicks off with a green Oscar the Grouch and the arrival of Herry Monster. Big Bird leads the group in a song about making mistakes. He says that spilling milk is just part of learning. You get that mistakes aren't failures.
Gordon helps Ernie and Bert compare their heights. They can tell you who's short and who's tall. Big Bird's standing next to them makes for a pretty obvious height difference. This makes it easy to compare things.
The cast is passing a physical letter J to one another. Cookie Monster calls the letter a D, says it's delicious, and eats it. Arte Johnson presents the letters Q and U, and Bill Cosby recites the alphabet. The actors from Bonanza count to 20. These examples give you the info you need to improve your letter and number recognition.
Bob meets Oscar's grandma. Granny Grouch shows up for a visit. She plants a kiss on Oscar just to annoy him. Oscar gives her a cup of hot mud as a gift. You see that everyone has a family structure.
Gordon teaches Big Bird about traffic safety. He explains the meaning of a green light. You learn to wait for the right signal before crossing the street. Carol Burnett shows us what the human nose can do. A game show has contestants talking about facial features. It's a great way to learn about the human body. Grover and Cookie Monster are walking through a forest. They sing to feel brave. It's amazing how friendship can help people face their fears.
Parent's Guide
Mr. Hooper spills a glass of milk. Big Bird leads a parade of friends in a song about mistakes. They say that accidents are just part of growth. This lesson helps kids build emotional resilience. Little setbacks can stress out a preschooler. You can help reduce stress by showing that adults make mistakes too. Share your own minor mistakes at home. Just let your kid know you forgot your keys and you'll go back for them. This helps you think in a growth mindset.
Big Bird almost got hit by a car. Gordon stops him to explain the traffic light. He says a green light means go. This lesson teaches safety and impulse control. You can practice this skill on walks. Have your child keep an eye out for the green signal. It's a good idea to teach kids to associate colors with specific actions, like how to navigate busy streets safely.
The group passes a physical letter J to each other. Cookie Monster calls the letter a D because it's delicious. He eats the letter. This activity is all about identifying letters. The humor helps your child tell the difference between similar shapes like J and D.
Harry Monster makes his first appearance. He joins Cookie Monster to sing about circles. This segment is where your child will meet new characters. It shows that appearances don't define a person. Kids learn to adapt to new social figures.
Ernie and Bert are bickering about their height. Gordon lifts Ernie to make him taller. Big Bird walks past them and looms over everyone. This scene shows relative size. You learn that tall and short are just labels used for comparison.
Bob finds out that Oscar has a family. Granny Grouch shows up for a visit. She plants a kiss on Oscar to show she's affectionate. Oscar's not a fan of the kiss, so he offers her some hot mud instead. This explores family dynamics. You see that families have different ways of showing love. Use this to talk about personal boundaries. People express themselves in different ways.
