Three of These Things

Written by	Jeff Moss and Joe Raposo
Date	1970
Publisher	Festival Attractions Inc; Stage Harbor Publishing Inc
First	Episode 0077

"Three of These Things" is the sorting song on Sesame Street that accompanies a game in which the singer points out "three of these things" that belong together, and a fourth item that does not. (In contrast to another song that asks the inverse question.)

A common variation of the song is "Three of These Kids" (referred to by scripts as the "Activity" series), which features a four-way split screen with three children performing one activity, plus a fourth child "doing his own thing."

According to Biff in Episode 1777, the "Three of These Things" tune is played as elevator music in the factory he works at.

Versions[]

Singer	First Appearance	Subjects
Bob	Episode 0077	Hammer, glue, nails, brush
Susan	Episode 0083	Fork, knife, spoon, clock
Susan	Episode 0086	Plate, spoon, glass and a number 2
Bob	Episode 0095	Chalk, pencils, crayons, clothespins
Susan	Episode 0112	Groupings of circular shapes
Bob	Episode 0112	Three letters and a number
Mr. Hooper	Episode 0122	Sports balls and a balloon
Oscar the Grouch	Episode 0135	Rancid sneaker, tattered glove, old sock, nice hat
Bob	Episode 0136	Hot dog, mustard, bun, flower
Mr. Hooper	Episode 0148	Pencils, scissors, balls, erasers
Bob	Episode 0152	Shape patterns
Bob and Little Bird	Episode 0154	Vehicles and tools
Bob	Episode 0158	Fruit
Bob	Episode 0158	Knick-Knacks
Susan and Bob	Episode 0171	Kitchenwares and cleaning items
Mr. Hooper	Episode 0179	Groups of candy
Bob	Episode 0188	Percussion instruments and a bugle
Susan	Episode 0194	Three R's and a P
Susan	Episode 0207	Toy animals
Susan	Episode 0236	Three Fs and a number 8
Bob	Episode 0250	Three trash receptacles and a drum
Susan	Episode 0271	Triangles and squares
Gordon	Episode 0271	Squares and circles
Kermit and Susan	Episode 0276	Hammer, shoe, pliers, and a saw Three birds and a frog
Bob	Episode 0297	Kitchen utensils and soap
Maria	Episode 0306	Spanish foods
Luis	Episode 0315	Vegetables
Gordon	Episode 0329	Triangles and a square
Susan	Episode 0330	Boxes
David	Episode 0338	Seasonal wear
Susan	Episode 0351	Shape patterns
Luis	Episode 0351	Shape patterns (in Spanish)
Susan	Episode 0372	A comb, soap, a toothbrush, and a fried egg
Susan	Episode 0376	A saw, coin purse, wallet, and cash register
Susan and the kids	Episode 0384	Three cones and a cylinder
Susan	Episode 0396	Hammer, knife, spoon, and fork
Luis	Episode 0396	A taco, a hamburger, a hot dog, and a sneaker
Grover and Susan	Episode 0406	Car and three animals
David	Episode 0403	Wheels
Susan	Episode 0436	Three lights and a coffee pot
David	Episode 0449	Flowers
Maria	Episode 0504	Big and small barns
Luis	Episode 0506	Three circles and one octagon
Luis	Episode 0515	Trash cans and a frying pan (in Spanish)
David	Episode 0516	Gardening tools and an iron
David	Episode 0517	Buildings
Susan	Episode 0528	Brushes and a cheeseburger
Luis	Episode 0552	Tools and Flower Pot
Susan	Episode 0582	Newspapers
Maria	Episode 0589	Oscar, David and Luis' rotten moods and Bob's good mood
Bert	Episode 0593	Winter apparel
Bob and Maria	Episode 0593	Tools and a tricycle.
Bob and The Kids	Episode 0597	Shovels
Bob, Luis and David	Episode 0598	A scarf, hat, glove and book
Gordon, Chris and Stephanie	Episode 0599	Numbers and a triangle
David	Episode 0605	Knife, fork, spoon, and pencil
Maria	Episode 0658	Kitchen items
David	Episode 0667	Pictures of a bed, a blanket, a pillow, and a camel
Maria	Episode 0682	Tools and a soda can
Luis	Episode 0721	Tools and a hamburger
David, Maria and Grover	Episode 0722	Mittens, boots, earmuffs, and socks
Gordon and Maria	Episode 0723	Drinks and a potato
Cookie Monster	Episode 0725	Cookies and store appliances
Biff and Sully	Episode 0735	Lunch
Susan and Herry Monster	Episode 0765	A book, magazine, newspaper, and a bowl of oatmeal
Sam the Robot	Episode 0798	Sam's appliance friends
Gordon and the kids	Episode 0826	Lights and a mirror
Susan	Episode 0835	Snow shovel, toboggan, wagon, and sled
Susan and the kids	Episode 0850	Plants
Buffy	Episode 0868	Clothes and an apple
Bob and the kids	Episode 0887	Sources of light and a frying pan
Bob, Abby and Percy	Episode 0894	Pictures of animals and a carrot
Linda	Episode 0901	Fruit and a shoe
Herry Monster, David and the kids	Episode 0911	Rocks
David and Maria	Episode 0913	Blenders and a sandwich
Bob (with Ernie)	Episode 0915	Vacuum, carpet sweeper, broom, and blender
Big Bird, Olivia and the kids	Episode 0950	Pictures
Mr. Hooper, Oscar and Ernest the Grouch	Episode 0954	Circles and squares
Bert and David	Episode 0958	Stacks of bottlecaps
Gordon and the kids	Episode 0960	Numbers and a letter A
Susan	Episode 0997	Gardening tools and a lamp
Bob	Episode 1008	Buildings and a piano
David	Episode 1017	Hats and a glove
Luis	Episode 1020	Groups of two and a group of one
Gordon and the kids	Episode 1032	Images of food and a sweater
Mr. Hooper, Olivia, Luis, and Maria	Episode 1053	Bags of trash
Luis	Episode 1096	A pillow, pajamas, a bed and a bicycle
David	Episode 1181	Hats and spaghetti
Oscar and the Trashmen	Episode 1182	Grouches in trash cans
Biff	Episode 1777	Sandwiches
Oscar the Grouch	Episode 1789	Cards, a checkerboard, sandwiches, and a Pac-Worm arcade game
Oscar the Grouch	Episode 1801	clean and dirty t-shirts
David and Forgetful Jones	Episode 1919	Tools and a banana
Oscar and the Grouchketeers	Episode 1922	Grouchy food items and a dish of mud
Bob, Luis, the kids, Oscar, and two Grouches	Episode 2044	Violins and a flute
Oscar and Grundgetta	Episode 2052	Pots and a spoon
Buster the Horse	Episode 2080	Farming tools and a hat
Gordon, Oscar, Grundgetta, and two Grouches	Episode 2126	Grouch instruments
Big Bird and Mr. Snuffleupagus	Episode 2184	Books
Buster the Horse	Episode 2192	An enlarged Slimey and his small worm friends
Edith Prickley (Andrea Martin)	Episode 2203	Boots and Pumps
The Big Bad Wolf, The Three Little Pigs and Kermit - Sesame Street News Flash: The New Three Little Pigs Story	Episode 2329	Three pigs and one frog
Oscar and worms	Episode 2406	Trash and an apple
Jay Leno and Big Bird	Episode 2408	Three triangles and one circle
Luis, Telly Monster and the kids	Episode 2421	Three stars and one moon
Luis and the kids	Episode 2434	Three houses and one car
Bob, Hiroshi and Elmo	Episode 2459	Fire engine, spoon, chopsticks, and fork
Snuffy and Alice	Episode 2477	Brussels sprouts and balls
Uncle Wally	Episode 2526	Painting supplies and a potted plant
Big Bird	Episode 2531	Three pretend dogs (kids) and Barkley
Maria and Elmo	Episode 2556	Clocks and a screwdriver
Snuffy and Alice	Episode 2588	Groups of circles
adolescent Maria	Episode 2621	Clock, doll, yo-yo, and toy car
The Count, Luis and the kids	Episode 2692	Three rectangular and one square envelope
Prince and the Charmings	Episode 2708	Three sneakers and glass slipper
Snuffy, Flo Bear and the kids	Episode 2714	Carrot, squash, cauliflower, and Flo
Ruby and Gordon	Episode 2721	Various noses
Big Bird and the Birdketeers	Episode 2725	Three small eggs and one large egg
Big Bird	Episode 2728	Three kids and Barkley
Oscar the Grouch	Episode 2738	Toy car, checkerboard, cards, and sandwiches
Maria, Gina and Telly	Episode 2746	When Oscar shows up while Maria, Gina, and Telly are making Oscar's favorite dish - a hat with ice cream and a fish inside - they play an impromptu game of this, featuring a hat, fish, ice cream, and apple.
Big Bird	Episode 2747	Big Bird, Susan, Luis, and Linda
Big Bird	Episode 2747	Bob, Luis, Maria, and Gabriella
Big Bird	Episode 2747	Big Bird, Bob, Gordon, Susan, Maria, Luis, and Linda
Bob and the kids	Episode 2748	Homes for birds and a Snuffleupagus
Gladys the Cow	Episode 2754	Flamingo, airplane, cow, and Bob as a bee
Oscar and Bob	Episode 2757	Bunches of trash and Bob's orchestra
Herry Monster, Alice and the kids	Episode 2816	Blocks and a ball
Elmo	Episode 2867	Instruments and a costume
Oscar the Grouch	Episode 2852	Ice cream and balls
Elmo, Gordon and Miles	Episode 2941	The kids as flowers and Prairie Dawn
Telly, Savion and the kids	Episode 2953	A toy rocket ship, a pair of tap-shoes, a toy airplane, and a toy helicopter.
Ruby	Episode 2974	Clothing items and a pot
Telly and Gina	Episode 2983	Pieces of fruit and the letter W
Herry Monster and his football team	Episode 2987	Glasses of water and a bowl of popcorn
Telly Monster	Episode 3115	Three kids and Telly (on a pogo stick)
Ruthie, Telly, Merry Monster, and the kids	Episode 3164	A roller skate, towel, soap, and a Rubber Duckie.
Stinky the Stinkweed	Episode 3220	Three, non-sentient plants and Stinky himself
Big Bird, Elmo and Gabi	Episode 3263	Food items and Radar
Maria and Big Bird	Episode 3323	Various tools
Big Bird and Zoe	Episode 3328	Food items and a box
Oscar the Grouch and the kids	Episode 3329	Bowls of broccoli, meatballs, mashed potatoes, and ice cream
Big Bird	Episode 3330	The Birdketeers and Monty (dressed as a cow)
Bob	Episode 3365	Brushes and the number 20
Big Bird, Baby Bear and Miles	Episode 3462	A shoe, a tie, a hat, and a bowl of porridge
Big Bird, Maria and Linda	Episode 3593	Dogs (including an invisible Barkley) and a cat
Sherry Netherland	Episode 3655	Sherry and three Marias
Gina, Zoe, Snuffy, Alice, and the kids	Episode 3757	A squirrel, a teddy bear, a penguin, and a drum.
Elmo	Episode 3791	Pets and a toaster
Gina, Zoe, Rosita, and Miles perform "Three of These Dings"	Episode 3824	Gina's ding hat, the Zoemobile bell, a hand bell, and a xylophone.
Elmo and Telly	Episode 3867	Flowers, Telly, a butterfly, and a sign
Cookie Monster and Ernie	Episode 3943	A hamburger, a cookie, pizza and a fajita
Elmo and viewer	Episode 3967	A soccer ball, a jump rope, jacks, and Stinky the Stinkweed
Big Bird and Cookie Monster	Episode 3981	A cookie, a hat, a t-shirt, and a shoe
Big Bird and Snuffy	Episode 3992	Oscar, a hat, a mat, and a cat (Little Murray Sparkles)
Maria and kids	Episode 3993	A kangaroo, a rabbit, a fish and a grasshopper
Ernie	Episode 4034	Two party hats, a birthday cake, and a sweater
Big Bird, Elmo, Zoe, Luis, Maria, and H-Man	Episode 4115	A helicopter, a hippopotamus, a ball and a hexagon
Oscar and Alan	Episode 4118	Food scraps and a button

Three of These Kids[]

Singer	First	Subjects
Luis	Episode 0408	Three kids holding umbrellas, one kid without an umbrella.
Luis	Episode 0408	Three kids as police officers, one as a fire fighter.
Luis	Episode 0413	Three kids, one of them is upside-down.
David	Episode 0415	Three kids are jumping rope, but the fourth one is sitting down and reading a book.
Luis	Episode 0418	Three kids playing basketball, one playing baseball.
David	Episode 0450	Three kids riding a bicycle, two kids riding a tandem bike.
Luis	Episode 0463	Three kids wearing winter clothes, one kid in shorts.
David	Episode 0474	Three kids lifting weights, one kid sitting down.
Bob	Episode 0536	Three kids playing baseball, one playing football.
Bob	Episode 0551	Three kids dancing, one sitting.
Bob	Episode 0606	Three kids playing basketball, one kid sweeping.