My son, like most preschoolers I know, goes through phases with his book, CD, and video interests. For the past few days, his video of choice has been Sesame Street’s Learning About Letters. I love this video. I was part of the first generation of children to grow up with Sesame Street, and many of the vignettes on Learning About Letters are classics I remember from my own childhood, pre-Elmo. Some highlight a specific letter; others go through the whole alphabet. What impresses me are the number of ways they do so, through song, poem, dialogue, and visuals in a variety of styles. Children will find what resonates with them. It reminds me why Sesame Street remains one of the most educational—and yet entertaining—children’s programs, even without the whizzy graphics and special effects of newer shows.

I’m trying to expose my son to letters in a variety of ways, though, and videos are just one of them. I point out letters on books, road signs, t-shirts, and anything else that seems interesting. I draw letters with a stick in his sandbox. I’ve also stocked up on Newman’s Own Alphabet Cookies. They look like Scrabble tiles and come in chocolate and cinnamon-graham varieties. Three cookies have less than three grams of sugar, which is pretty good on the scale of kids’ treats. Our son usually has a few after dinner, and enjoys identifying each letter before munching.

Not that everything has to be educational. There’s certainly a place for fun, pure and simple. But learning and fun don’t always have to be separate, either. How do you teach your kids without making it seem like effort?