| Category | Details |
| Episode Number | 0596 |
| Season | Season 5 (1973–1974) |
| Air Date | February 11, 1974 |
| Theme | Snow and Opposites (Up/Down, Open/Closed) |
| Letter of the Day | S |
| Number of the Day | 7 |
| Unit of Measure | Chickens |
| Key Muppets | Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, Grover, Ernie, Bert |
| Human Cast | Maria, Luis, David, Gordon |
| Mystery Guest | Caroll Spinney (Cameo) |
| Key Spanish Words | Abierto (Open), Cerrado (Closed) |
| Sponsors | S, 7 |
Street Scenes
Big Bird's got the weather in the palm of his hand with a big arrow. He gives the falling flakes directions on where to land. Maria thinks his effort is pointless. The snow reverses its course when she looks away. Maria questions her own senses.
Big Bird sets up a scale for a neighborhood carnival. The scale measures weight in chickens. David weighs exactly three chickens. Gordon finds out he's got two chickens. He decides to start a diet.
Oscar the Grouch watches Gordon shovel the icy steps of 123 Sesame Street. Oscar's upset with Gordon over the safety measure. He imagines Maria slipping on the ice. He's hoping Gordon yells at her like a grouch. Oscar thinks this behavior earns him a medal from the Disagreeable Order of Grouches. He changes his mind and demands that Gordon finish the cleaning. Oscar wants to keep his reputation as a downer to himself.
David finds some big footprints and a yellow feather at Hooper's Store. A guy in huge boots brings a birdcage onto the block. Maria and Luis are keeping warm inside the Fix-It Shop. They sing about the falling snow. David identifies the sponsors at the end of the day.
Parent's Guide
Oscar the Grouch tells Gordon not to shovel the snow. He wants Maria to slip. Gordon cleared the path for safety. You can use this story to teach your child about community responsibility. Shoveling snow can prevent accidents. It shows how being a good neighbor means looking out for others.
David finds some huge footprints and a yellow feather. He sees a note about birdseed. He assumes Big Bird visited him. A guy in big boots shows up with a birdcage. This shows that David was wrong. You can use this mystery to teach your child about data. Sometimes one set of clues can lead to different conclusions. Practice connecting observations to facts by playing clue games at home.
Big Bird gives directions to the snow. Roosevelt, Franklin, and Cookie Monster show the difference between up and down. Gymnasts jump and sit to show how to stop and go. These movements help kids learn language by getting the muscles used to it. You should play Simon Says with your child. Use directions like reach up high. This helps your child connect the dots between hearing a word and understanding the real world.
Maria reads a story about a boy who tells lies. The boy's got this imagination where he's always making up stories about a monster. It's like the story of the boy who cried wolf. It teaches the value of honesty. You should explain that lying just to get attention is a bad idea. Kids need to build a solid reputation with their friends and family.
Big Bird uses chickens to measure weight on a scale. He doesn't use pounds or kilograms. This is where we'll dive into the idea of units. Kids learn to compare weights using a consistent scale. You can use everyday items around the house to help your child understand size concepts.
