Sesame Street - 123 Count With Me Reviews

• Excellent teaching tool ... but

  
  By A1E9N5FK21NDTD on 2002-07-16
  We love this DVD. My son enjoys and asks for it frequently. Highly recommend...my son loves to count things now!

  HOWEVER, I do have just one small complaint. The "chapters" are not clean...if you go to the chapter on the number 3 you get the tail end of 2; chapter 5 closes with the beginning of the next number. This is annoying...especially when you want to go to a number and you have to sit thru the end of the previous chapter and all the while La Petite Prince is chanting 3 3 3 3 3 3 3.
  I have noticed that the SS DVD's (like Follow that Bird for example) don't have logical clean chapters....why? It doesn't seem like rocket science to me...
  
  

• Ernie sings some FUN songs!

  
  By A1MO79MDHXB9J3 on 2003-02-07
  My 18 month old daughter loves this dvd. And you know what? I do, too! There are some classic songs I remember from Sesame Street as a child along with some newer songs, all about counting. All the songs are catchy and fun. My daughter is learning how to count with the help of Ernie, his friends, and Elmo, as well. Sesame Street has once again succeeded at making learning an enjoyable experience!
  The DVD is nice because the menu has all the songs available to listen to at your preference. The length is about 40 minutes. This is a great buy, and I highly recommend it!
  
  

• MUCH better than "The Great Numbers Game"

  
  By AJKAZ50Y34PW0 on 2000-10-05
  When Ernie drops by "The Furry Arms" hotel to return a missing key he found, he ends up giving everyone a lesson in counting, and also ends up getting hired as hotel manager! Ernie soon discovers that when he "Dings The Dinger", Benny The Bunny (Kevin Clash-who also does Elmo) will bring him something different everytime, depending on the number of times he dings. For example, when Ernie dings 3 times, Benny brings 3 pillows. Ernie however, does not need the pillows, and tells Benny he's glad he now knows what happens when he dings 3 times. This running gag goes during the entire video, and it gets quite funny. Most of the segments in this video are well chosen, such as a neat segment with singing crows, and the fantastic "Honk Around The Clock"! I also find the new songs very catchy, and have found myself sing them quite often! This not only gets five stars becalse it's much better then "The Great Numbers Game", but also becalse it's extremely funny! In recent years, The Furry Arms seems to have been deleted from the show. Why? It was such a great place, and I liked Natasha's parents having a job! Oh, well. At least we have this video!
  
  

• Bad Influence

  
  By on 2003-04-07
  There is so much to love about the SS approach to teaching children, but this video is a grave disappointment. Throughout the video this bunny with a rotten attitude screams at everyone for little to no reason. With small children imitating everything they see, this is harmful exposure for behaviour development.
  I also agree with the review about Elmo. I have a growing annoyance with listening to Elmo speak in the third person. Come on! Are you educational or not?
  
  

• terrible

  
  By A28KQ6PODZ9FVS on 2005-09-30
  The screaming bunny is just terrible. He's not funny, and he introduced my daughter to downright meanness. I'd sell this dvd, but I don't want it to affect any other kids!
  
  
• It's a fun way to teach children to count!
  By on 1999-06-14
  My 2 1/2 year old is completely enthralled by this video! He'll watch it over and over again. I even find myself singing along with the original and entertaining songs. As usual, Ernie is his unflappable self. But I found the three "counting crows" and Elmo rapping about the number 5 especially funny and entertaining. I believe this video has been very helpful in teaching my son to count to 15. I highly recommend it to everyone with a toddler.
  
  
• Really bad...
  By ATK0LVRXOFNC6 on 2006-04-25
  I rarely review books or DVDs but I felt compelled to do so with this one because it is really, really bad. There's a lot of yelling from one of the main characters (the bunny) and, though the songs are cute, there's no way to play all of the songs without also watching some of the bunny, who comes across as really cantankerous and angry. I love Sesame Street as a general rule, but strongly dislike this particular video.
  
  
• Extremely educational and visually pleasing.
  By A1HGUCKR8F17JR on 1999-11-14
  My 21 month old son has watched this video countless times. It is hands down one of his favorites. This tape spotlights Ernie (one of his favorite Sesame Street characters) and includes Elmo in several segments - always a plus. The best part is he's already learned to count to ten. And although he's watched this many times , I'm not at all sick of it. The songs are fun and catchy and in typical Sesame Street fashion, the muppets are clever and entertaining, even for adults. I highly recommend this video.
  
  
• Your Child Will Most Likely "Love" This Video!
  By ARCIRFD5L924U on 2000-10-26
  I originally started with the Baby Bach and Mozart tapes for my baby boy, who is now 11 months (at about 4 months)but I could see he was getting bored with the Baby Einstein set. I noticed he liked Sesame Street, so I purchased the "123 Count with Me", video - Well he is addicted! He laughs along with Ernie and friends. He also get's a real big kick out of the bellhop-rat! It was by no choice of our own that my husband and I now know all the songs and can occasionally be found singing them at work and in other embarrassing public places. I really think a child couldn't help to memorize 1-20 just by knowing the opening and closing songs. I would just like to WARN you... no more "News at 6" or "HBO" once this video becomes a favorite!
  
  
• good but not great video
  By on 1999-12-07
  This video has some very cute counting songs - I'm a fan of "One Singular Sensation" and a real oldie but goodie, "Number 9 Cutie" - but I find the cranky bunny tedious and I wish he didn't yell "duh" at the other characters. In the beginning it's a little slow between songs but by the end the pace is good. I find it very annoying that Sesame Street puts advertising for its other videos at the start of the video - hard for kids to wait for you to fast-forward through.
  
  
• Benny the Bunny....
  By on 2000-06-18
  I like the video and I think that the songs are great, however Benny the Bunny is very annoying and I find his yelling absolutely inappropriate for young children. Does every video these days have to have an obnoxious character? This is the kind of thing that desensitizes children. It really is a shame because otherwise this video has some great songs. My favorite video is Sesame Street's 25th Birthday - A Musical Celebration (1993). It has great songs and is mellow.
  
  
• Don't like it
  By AJQHTVFCN6PYP on 2001-07-05
  I like Sesame Street in general and my daughter loves Elmo. But this video has a very annoying character, the gruff sounding bunny. I think the bunny ruins it, he's not cute and he's just an annoying little character. Also, there is more talking in this video than the other ones we own. I like the ones with more singing. Our favorites of Sesame Street so far are Kids Favorite Songs and Elmo's Guessing Game.
  
  
• Sesame Street - 123 Count With Me
  By A13M2OZU0IWFY8 on 2003-06-24
  This dvd does not keep my son's attention as well as other dvds out there (Baby Einstein, Richard Scary), but he does love the musical numbers & will dance with them. Obviously, the educational value is high, but I would have expected better from Sesame Street.
  
  
• Sesame Street-123 Count With Me
  By A13TY5P2P593VW on 2006-03-17
  This DVD is good as far as exposing children to numbers and my 2 year old seemed to enjoy it, but the bunny is VERY rude. My son has not asked to watch it so I haven't shown it to him since the first viewing, because if the rudeness of the bunny. I would prefer if they made an effort to display or encourage good manners as well as teach about academic things, like Barney tends to do.
  
  
• I can't stop singing these songs & my 1 year old loves it !
  By on 1999-11-27
  My son loves Ernie and so do I. This tape is great. I think it is my favorite SS tape. It has a great flow and my son loves all the singing and mayhem. We have watched it every day for 2 weeks and we both still love it. The songs are catchy enough for adults and enough fun for the little ones. My particular favorite it the "Counting Crows" song. My son loves Elmo singing a rap about the number "five". They are all great. Buy it, I don't think you will regret it, except when you find yourself singing the number song in the shower !
  
  
• You might get hooked yourself...
  By A2BIW1W1H7QYS4 on 2002-12-28
  I bought this for my seven month old on a whim as my wife and I were looking for some DVDs from the Baby Einstein video series. But after watching this, we are glad we made this purchase. The characters are great and, in typical Sesame Street fashion, are goofy as heck! Benny has to be our favorite character and I'm sorry one reviewer didn't take more kindly to him - he definetly brings more humor to this already funny video. Think of him as a funnier Oscar. The songs are extremely catchy - I find myself humming them on my way to work (shh, don't tell anyone!). This has quickly become the most watched DVD in our home!
  ...and oh yeah, my kid really likes it too!
  
  
• great video
  By A2XW0SPR083UWM on 2004-07-12
  This one is funny and entertaining. Very cute and educational at the same time. You'll find yourself singing along!
  
  
• A Fun Way to Learn the Numbers and Reinforce Numerical Order
  By A136K3W1526CRS on 2005-10-31
  I have nothing but praise for the 1, 2, 3 Count With Me video (hosted by Ernie, not Elmo). For the sake of comparison, I do not hold Sesame Street's Do the Alphabet video (hosted by Big Bird) in high regard. In 1, 2, 3 Count With Me the story cleverly centers around work at the Furry Arms Hotel and with great comic relief shows children practical applications for using numbers. I bought the video when my son was two years old. My children, currently ages 4 1/2 and 2, learned number recognition and numeric order reliably thanks to the catchy theme song and clips highlighting specific numbers. Now that my oldest child is successfully learning addition, I see in a new light the importance of reinforcing numerical order (adults take it for granted). Educational value aside, this video makes them laugh out loud too.
  
  
• 19 mo. Daughter loves it!
  By A1H669MRCOOX6K on 2000-09-18
  Like many parents, I purchased this with the belief that it would be far better than other programs, and also serve as a good educational vehicle - and we were not disappointed. Our daughter adores the characters, and her comprehension for counting continues to grow. The difference between Barney stuff (entertainment) vs. Sesame street (edu-tainment) is amazing.

  As an adult, I find myself humming along to the tunes. Okay, so I happen to be a big kid. In any case, your kids will enjoy it, and as a parent, you will have a guilt free conscience about your kids consuming too much TV.
  
  

• A Sesame Street Fan
  By on 2001-06-29
  As a Sesame Street fan I love seeing my 16 month old's face light up when he sees the characters I've grown up with. 123 Count With Me is a great addition to my video collection. I was looking for a Sesame Street video which was very educational and entertaining while learning how to count. I purchased it after reading other reviews on Amazon.com. Those reviews did not steer me wrong. I was a little concerned how I was going to like Benny the Bunny since he annoyed some, but found him funny. Although it covers 1-20, the skits stop at 15. Even at that it was well worth the price.
  
  
• I miss the *real* Ernie...
  By on 2001-08-03
  Is anyone else annoyed by the "new" voice of Ernie? I find the character has lost that spark of mischievousness that made Ernie so wonderful. Maybe I'm just getting old...

  Otherwise, I agree that Benny is obnoxious and out of place, and some of the songs are so banal it makes my skin crawl (that "Rock around the Clock" thing is God-awful).

  On the plus side, at least it doesn't center around Elmo (people complain that Baby Bear's speech is a bad influence, I can't even understand Elmo half the time, and I sure wish he (she?) would stop referring to itself in the 3rd person...).

  Just grouchy tonight, but I'm not fond of this one.
  
  

• my 16 mo old absolutely loves this video
  By API5JLBRT6FIN on 2001-12-08
  Sure, it teaches them to be naughty and tease like Ernie teases poor lazy Benny, but it has a nice story line, and really teaches the numbers -- my son just starts dancing when he hears the title song sung by Ernie. Lots of the songs are pretty good, and definitely stick in your head. The great thing(imo) is that Elmo has only a small bit, and this video has firmly lodged Ernie as his absolute favorite Sesame Street Character!!! He talks about tubby time and bath(not on this DVD though), and has learned some numbers (I think :-)) We have a laugh at Benny every time we watch, which is a few times a week -- would be 24 x 7 if it was my son's choice.
  
  
• Good, entertaining, educational video
  By ADEETJWRKD6OA on 2002-02-05
  My 14-month old daughter has watched this several dozen times already, and she still picks this one out when given a choice between this or another Sesame Street video. She loves Ernie and Elmo, both of whom appear regularly in the show, and while she still isn't saying her numbers, I'm pretty sure she's getting the concepts figured out. I also make sure to interact with her to help reinforce the concepts and help keep her focused.

  Even though I've watched it with her for at least half of those viewings, I generally enjoy watching it with her. Part of the reason is the different segments are well-done and actually have the occassional bit of adult humor (e.g., the "counting crows" who sing about 3 -- supposedly the source for the band's name), and also for the things that happen in the background as Ernie interacts with Benny and the Dinger (for instance, when Ernie dings the Dinger for the first time, watch the action in the background -- it's quite funny, and definitely targeted for the adults who are watching along!).
  
  

• Greate fun for my 2.5 year old son
  By A2M4WRRKEHILX0 on 2002-08-02
  My 2.5 year old want's this & the A to Z DVD all the time. We live in Israel, and he learned the english numbers within a week of seeing the DVD! (he only knew the hebrew count before)

  A good buy
  
  

• No benny any more
  By AIAZN56CKXCVH on 2003-06-20
  It is fun to watch and also educational to some extent. After watching this video several times, my 22 month old son learned how to count. It was surprisingly quick. But my son keeps following what benny does. He throws stuff to the floor, and yells loudly. I think benny is a nasty character.
  
  
• not her favorite
  By A3CJK6H1P0421W on 2004-06-27
  My daughter is 19 months old and loves Sesame Street. But we were disappointed that she didn't like this DVD. She found the rabbit/bellhop character annoying and a little scary. He's kind of ugly and mean, and unfortunately he's the main character after Ernie. And her favorite character, Elmo, is only in one vignette. It was also too slow to hold her attention without more of her favorites like Elmo or Cookie Monster in it. She's learning to count just great without it anyway, so we'll probably just give it to someone else.
  
  
• does not model polite behavior
  By A3P0BOA1UW2761 on 2007-09-04
  I loved Sesame street growing up, but Sesame street as a whole seems to be going downhill to me. This video, while it does have a couple of great vintage clips, models HORRIBLY rude and disobedient behavior. The bunny is extremly rude to Ernie and the Honker, and Ernie and the Honker repeatedly bother and annoy Benny, even after Benny asks them to stop (and of course, asks in a rude way). The educational value is minimal. I really don't think this helped my child to count to 15 or to recognize his numbers. If you want some good vintage Sesame STreet clips, check out the 25th anniversary. Good clips, educational value is about the same, but no rude behavior, and no disobedient behavior.
  
  
• great video
  By A3VOLNBJA1KPDP on 2000-03-12
  My 18 month old has been enjoying this video for months. It has some old favorites ("#9 cutie", "One singular sensation") and some new catchy tunes ("1 and 2 and 3" sung by three counting crows, "Seven" sung by Dorothy andher goldfish friends & "Five" rapped by M.C. Elmo)as well. They count all the way up to 15 and there is almost a song for every number.
  
  
• Excellent musical video that makes counting fun.
  By A2JLFX59B2AQGF on 1998-10-16
  This is my 18-month old son Max's favorite video. He dances to the songs that are a mix of classic skits (that I remember from when I watched Sesame Street) and modern pop rock spoofs. It's a video that both parents and children will love. END
  
  
• This one is great
  By on 2002-10-27
  My 2 1/2 year old twin toddler boys love this video and it isn't so bad for mom to watch either. It is very educational and has great repetition for the numbers. This is one to buy!
  
  

• Sesame Street - Do the Alphabet
• Sesame Street - The Best of Elmo
• Sesame Street - Learning About Letters
• Sesame Street - Kids' Favorite Songs
• Sesame Street - The Alphabet Jungle Game