Nookly vs Sesame Workshop vs Big Life Journal: Finding the Right Conversation Starter

Your family is going through a lot at once. Your six-year-old's grandfather is ill, and she's been quiet. Your nine-year-old is fine, mostly, but keeps saying things like "I'm just bad at maths." And both of them are fighting more than usual. You want to talk with them, but you're not sure how to start.

There are some lovely resources out there. Sesame Workshop has materials for tough family topics. Big Life Journal offers a guided journal for older kids. And Nookly can help you make something around your family's own situation. Here's how they differ.

TL;DR: who wins where?

• Sesame Workshop wins for expert-prepared family resources on tough topics like divorce and grief, with familiar characters and guidance for adults.
• Big Life Journal wins for guided, illustrated reflection with stories and prompts, plus a companion podcast. The edition described there is for ages 7–10, not toddlers.
• Nookly wins when you want practice pieces built around this child and this situation — her grandfather’s name, his maths worry, your family’s words — prepared by you for a conversation you lead. It isn’t therapy or a chatbot.

It's also worth remembering that every child processes things differently. One might want to talk straight away; another might need days. One might express worry through play or behaviour rather than words. The right conversation starter is the one that meets your child where they are.

What each is for

These three do different jobs. Sesame Workshop offers prepared, expert-made starting points for big topics. Big Life Journal offers a structured reflection habit for an older child. Nookly offers personalized practice an adult creates around a specific child and moment.

None of them is clinical treatment. For persistent worry, sadness or anxiety, talk to a pediatrician or qualified professional.

Whichever you choose, you remain the most important part: the adult who notices, listens and stays.

Sesame Workshop: expert care, familiar faces

Sesame Workshop's tough-topics resources cover areas like divorce and grief, with materials for adults and children. The strength is expertise and trust: they're prepared carefully, and many children already know and love the characters.

These are especially helpful when you're not sure what to say, because they give you language and a starting point. They're designed for many families, so they won't include your child's grandfather or your particular circumstances. That's the nature of a shared resource.

Big Life Journal: a place to reflect

Big Life Journal offers an illustrated guided journal with stories and prompts, and a companion podcast. The children's edition described on its site is for roughly ages seven to ten. It suits kids who like writing or drawing their thoughts and building a reflection habit over time.

It's a prepared journey, so it moves through its own topics. For a child who's ready to reflect independently, that structure is a real plus. It's not designed for toddlers or for your family's particular event.

Where Nookly fits

Nookly is a tool for adults to create learning pieces around one child. For social-emotional learning, that might be a short story, feelings cards, a pretend-play script or a few conversation starters, prepared for a conversation you lead.

Here's where Nookly adds something different. You can describe the situation: "She's six, her grandfather Baba Sami is in hospital, she loves drawing and her cat, and she hasn't asked any questions yet." Nookly can help you make a gentle picture story about a girl who draws a card for her grandfather, a feelings page with simple faces, and three open questions you might ask. For your nine-year-old: a short story about a character who thinks they're "bad at" something and tries again, plus a reflection card.

Be clear about limits. Nookly isn't therapy, doesn't treat trauma, anxiety or depression, and isn't an emotional chatbot for your child. You read everything first and adjust the words to fit your family.

You can create a one-off experience, or a personalized learning plan called a Blueprint for a Goal like managing frustration or preparing for a big change.

Here's how that might look for the six-year-old. You read the picture story at bedtime. She doesn't say much. The next morning, at breakfast, she asks whether Baba Sami can see the pictures she draws. That's the conversation starting, in her time. The story didn't have the answers; it gave her a way in.

For the nine-year-old, the reflection card might sit on his desk for a week before he fills it in. That's fine too.

Using them together

Use a Sesame resource to find language for a tough topic. Offer an older child a guided journal if they enjoy reflecting. Make a personalized story or feelings cards when your child needs something that names their own situation. Then put the tools down and talk.

Whatever you use, notice your child's cues. If a story makes them withdraw, pause and come back another time. If they want to read it five times, read it five times. The tool is only useful if it helps the connection between you.

How to choose

If you need expert guidance on a big topic, start with prepared resources like Sesame's. If your older child would enjoy a regular reflection habit, a guided journal. If you need something that fits this week's moment with your child's own details, that's where Nookly helps.

And trust yourself. You don't need the perfect words. Children mostly need to know that they can bring hard feelings to you and you'll stay with them.

After the storm

Try this after a big feeling. Once everyone is calm, sit side by side and ask your child to point to where the feeling lived in their body. Tummy? Fists? Then ask, "What helped, even a little?" Draw that on a small card together. Next time, the card is ready, and it's made in your child's words, not someone else's.

A sample request

"My five-year-old's best friend moved away. He's sad and says he'll never have another friend. He loves dinosaurs. Make a short story about a dinosaur whose friend moves, three questions I could ask him, and a simple 'send a picture to your friend' activity." Read it, change anything that doesn't feel right, and sit with him while you read it.

Side by side

On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Comparing Nookly, Sesame Workshop and Big Life Journal for family conversations

	Sesame Workshop	Big Life Journal	Nookly
Main job	Expert-prepared family resources on tough topics	Illustrated guided reflection journal with a companion podcast	Adult-made practice pieces around one child and moment
Who leads	Adult, using prepared materials	The child reflects, often with an adult	The adult prepares and leads the conversation
Personal context	Designed for many families	Its own sequence of prompts	The child’s names, situation and interests
Age range	Mainly young children and families	Edition described for ages 7–10	Tailored by the adult to the child’s age
Formats	Videos, printables, guides	Journal, stories and podcast	Stories, feelings cards, scripts and starters
What it isn’t	Not clinical treatment	Not clinical treatment	Not therapy and not a chatbot for children

Descriptions checked September 28, 2026 from each organization’s public pages. Nookly isn’t affiliated with Sesame Workshop or Big Life Journal.

Need a gentle way in? Make a story about your child’s moment, and read it together.