Entertainment

Invite Elmo To Your Next Zoom Call With These Free 'Sesame Street' Backgrounds

by Casey Suglia

The next time you hop on a video call, trying using these free Sesame Street Zoom backgrounds and change up the normal kitchen cabinet scene your co-workers and friends have already seen a thousands times. Instead, you can invite Cookie Monster on your next conference call.

On Wednesday, Sesame Street announced on Facebook and Instagram that you can now download five different Zoom backgrounds featuring scenes from the beloved children's show as well as favorite characters, like Elmo and Cookie Monster. For instance, you can easily take your video call from the stoop of the brownstone on an empty Sesame Street. Or you can hang out at Hooper's Store or at a beautiful garden. And if you're looking for something with a bit more personality, you can hang out with Cookie Monster's face or take your call with Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Grover right next to you.

To access the Sesame Street video call backgrounds, simply download the images from the show's Facebook page and save them to your computer.

To use one of these photos as the background for your next video call, log in to Zoom on your computer, click on the icon in the right hand corner, and click on "settings." Once you're in settings, click on the "virtual background" tab on the lefthand side. In virtual background, you can choose from any of Zoom's already uploaded images, or upload your favorite Sesame Street background from your computer using the plus sign. Once the photo is uploaded, you can select it and use it for your next call. You might want to play around with the location in your home ahead of time as it works best with a solid color backdrop with minimal shadows and good lighting, according to Zoom.

So, as Sesame Street says, "add some sunny days to your next video call" and let Elmo lead your next meeting.