| Category | Details |
| Episode Number | 0265 |
| Season | Season 2 (1970-1971) |
| Air Date | May 14, 1971 |
| Primary Theme | Competition between the Ice Cream Machine and Hooper's Store |
| Letters of the Day | T, A |
| Numbers of the Day | 3, 20 |
| New Character | Moe (Ice Cream Machine Employee) |
| Featured Flavors | Sardine, Bird Seed, Pistachio, Tutti-Frutti |
| Human Cast | Bob, Mr. Hooper, Gordon, Susan |
| Muppet Stars | Oscar, Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, Cookie Monster, Grover |
| Celebrity Guests | The stars of Bonanza (Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, Michael Landon) |
| Key Concepts | Mail process, Rhythm, Cooperation, Beginning/End |
| Sponsors | A, T, 3 |
The Cold War of the Cones
Oscar the Grouch sends a letter to a mud farm. This task will show you how to send mail. There's this guy, Moe, who puts an ice cream machine on the street. Bob buys an ice cream sandwich for ten cents. This new machine has the potential to have a negative impact on the local economy.
Mr. Hooper is worried that the machine will take his customers. He sees kids buying candy from the machine instead of his store. He changes his business strategy to survive. He offers specialized flavors for his neighbors. He makes birdseed ice cream for Big Bird. He serves Oscar sardine ice cream. The generic machine doesn't have these options. Mr. Hooper uses variety to win back his customers.
Moe sees that he can't compete with personalized service. Susan and Gordon decide to go with the store instead of the machine. They want specific flavors like peppermint or raisin. Moe calls his boss to quit his job. Mr. Hooper gives Moe a tutti-frutti cone to cheer him up. It's clear that human connection is more valuable than automation.
The neighborhood is back to its usual quiet routine. Gordon shows a film about frogs. This gets his students ready for a biology lesson. Susan uses paper dolls to teach social sequences. You'll learn how to order events in a story. Bob helps the kids use a tire swing. They practice taking turns. This shows how important patience and community are.
Parent's Guide
Moe puts in an automated ice cream machine on Sesame Street. Mr. Hooper is worried about his business because the machine is new and fast. The machine only serves standard flavors. Mr. Hooper changes his strategy to win. He offers Oscar sardine ice cream. He makes crunchy bird seed ice cream for Big Bird. The machine can't provide these items. Moe quits his job because he can't keep up with the personalized service. This story shows how important it is to be able to adapt and how much the community can help. You can also talk about local workers with your child to help them feel more connected to the community.
The episode's all about the letter T, with a poem about turtles and Texas. Cookie Monster looks for a phone after Harry Monster says the word. These segments build a vocabulary of words that all start with the same sound. Hey, why not play a little game of telephone at home? This activity is all about practicing the letter sounds and getting better at listening.
Oscar sends a letter to a mud farm. You see a film called I Am a Letter. A postman comes by to talk about what he does for a living. This lesson shows kids how a system works. You learn that a letter goes through a specific process to reach its destination. This helps kids understand the world better.
Grover's playing tug of war with a bunch of monsters. This game shows how working together can get things done. You know that working together requires coordination. Grover shows that team spirit is key to achieving a goal. This teaches kids how to interact with others in a group.
George the Farmer is working on his farm. He's great at identifying the beginning and the end of each job. This makes sense when you think about it. You can help your child understand the sequence of a task. Knowing where a job starts and finishes helps improve organizational skills.
