We are thrilled to offer you fantastic discounts on selected resources, designed to maximise your Makaton experience this summer!

Until 31st August, you can enjoy a 10% discount on the following selected resources by using our exclusive promo code: HOLIDAY10:

• Makaton Games
• Makaton Make and Do
• Trips and Days Out
• I Like Ice Cream
• Activities for Adults
• Sorting Activities

These resources have been thoughtfully chosen to enhance your Makaton journey. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of this exclusive offer and make the most of your summer with Makaton!

Published

10th July 2023

Stay Connected with Makaton Community

Introducing MakaChat Mobile - the ultimate way to stay connected to your Makaton community from your mobile device! With this app, all Makaton members can easily stay up-to-date with the latest discussions, news, and conversations that matter to you. Plus, you can turn on notifications for important updates and effortlessly like, comment, ask questions and answer them in just a few clicks. We're confident that MakaChat Mobile will make it even easier for you to stay connected with your fellow Makaton members, Ambassadors, Tutors, Trainers.

To get started, download the free Connected Community app from the App Store or Google Play. Then, log in to MakaChat by entering community.makaton.org as the domain name prompt and using your regular Makaton username and password. It's that easy! Once you're logged in, you'll be redirected to the app and ready to start chatting.

MakaChat Mobile is powered by the Connected Community app and provides a range of exciting features to make your experience seamless.  We hope you enjoy using MakaChat Mobile to stay connected with your Makaton community!

Take a tour of the app via our short demos and keep an eye out for more tips and tricks to get the most out of the app:

Not a member yet? Start your free 7-day trial today!

Published

1st May 2023

The Makaton Charity have made the decision to remove Standard membership and going forwards Premium membership will be the only paid membership type we provide. Through extensive user feedback, we have learned that members want access to a wider range of content and not be limited to a small selection of vocabulary and resources. We want to ensure that we are meeting the needs of all our members and providing them with the best possible experience.

We have made this decision based on our commitment to providing high quality products and services. After careful consideration, we have come to the conclusion that the Standard membership does not offer best value for money. We believe that the Premium membership does this more successfully.

Premium membership offers 24/7 digital access to all of the Makaton vocabulary, with 40,000+ symbols, signs and videos to support your everyday needs. You can download your favourite content for easy offline access.

Premium membership includes everyday vocabulary plus Animals, Food and Drink, People (work, leisure and  public services), Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE), Transport and Vehicles, School and Education, and Sex Education.

In addition to vocabulary, we have a wide range of resources available including Games and Activities, Festivals and Celebrations, Inclusive Greetings Cards, Health Communication, Nursery Rhymes and Stories, Sporting Events and much more. We are continuously adding resources on a monthly basis to keep the content as engaging and relevant as possible.

MakaChat is our vibrant online community where members can ask the experts, for advice and guidance. The community allows peer-to-peer support for your everyday communication and learning disability questions.

With Premium membership you can broaden your experience with exclusive Member Events. Meet like-minded people and build on your Makaton knowledge from a diverse array of subject topics.

Premium membership can be accessed for just £9.99 per month, our best value membership product is our Group membership providing 4 logins for only £11.99 per month (£3 per person).

Start your free 7-day trial today

Published

We are thrilled to introduce a brand new item in the Makaton Shop: Everyday Vocabulary Flashcards. A powerful tool for individuals of all ages and abilities to enhance communication and language development. With 37 carefully chosen signs and symbols, these flashcards cover a range of essential everyday words such as 'hello', 'house', 'food', 'toilet', 'book', 'telephone', 'yes', 'no', 'where', 'which', 'what', 'happy' and 'sad'.

Measuring 54mm x 85mm, these durable white PVC cards come with a sturdy metal snap ring for easy storage and organisation. Whether you're a parent, teacher, speech therapist, or caregiver, these flashcards can help support communication and interaction with individuals who have communication difficulties, language delays, or learning disabilities.

These flashcards can be used in a variety of ways to build sentences, initiate conversation, or prompt social interactions. They can also be used in conjunction with other Makaton resources to help develop literacy skills, increase vocabulary, and improve comprehension.

With the Everyday Vocabulary Flashcards, you can help individuals improve their communication skills and build confidence in their ability to express themselves.

As always, your purchase helps support the valuable work we do at The Makaton Charity to improve communication and understanding for everyone. We are grateful for your continued support.

Published

Spring is just around the corner, and to celebrate the new season, we're excited to announce our Spring Sale! From 1st to 31st March, you can enjoy a fantastic 20% discount on all shop products*

At The Makaton Charity, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to communicate, understand and be understood. Our range of products, from books and resources to clothing and gifts, are designed to help promote inclusion and support communication for individuals with learning or communication difficulties. And now, with our Spring Sale, you can stock up on your favourite items at an unbeatable price!

To take advantage of this amazing offer, simply visit our online shop and browse our range of products. When you're ready to checkout, use the promotional code SPRING23 to receive your 20% discount. This offer is only available for a limited time, so don't wait too long to place your order!

As always, your purchase helps support the valuable work we do at The Makaton Charity to improve communication and understanding for everyone. We're grateful for your continued support and hope you enjoy our Spring Sale!

*excluding Membership and Tutor resources

Published

Our first MakaHike in 2021 was on Snowdon, last year Ben Nevis and this year one will be on Scafell Pike, but we are really keen to make one accessible for all, both in terms of terrain, challenge and geography.

Come and join us in the South Downs, Ditchling area, on Saturday 1st July 2023 to raise funds for The Makaton Charity. Afterwards there will be a Makaton concert led by Singing Hands to celebrate our achievement and promote the wonderful work of The Makaton Charity. Light refreshments will be available

The main walk will be 5.5 miles on accessible bridleways, suitable for wheelchairs/pushchairs. There is also a 3 miles option. The walk will start around 1pm

The cost of your place will be £17.00 for adults £8 for 2-16yrs and free for U2s, this is paid direct to the event organiser: Richard Fish Outdoor Adventures (RFOA). This entrance fee includes experienced and qualified mountain leaders, all the organisation, first aid cover, public liability insurance and a Makaton T-shirt.

All participants are asked to raise a minimum sponsorship amount of £50.

We anticipate this event will be very popular and numbers will be capped due to the amount of space in the hall for the Singing Hands concert and to ensure the walk is managed effectively. Book early!

Are you ready for the challenge? Email richard.fish@makaton.org for the application form.

Published

11th January 2023

The Makaton Charity would like to express our deep sadness at the passing of Lynda Matthews at the age of 90. Some of you may have known her personally from the early days of Makaton, and it's clear from talking with Margaret and others who worked with her that she played a pivotal role in deploying the Makaton Language Programme. Without her passion, expertise and enthusiasm, today's Charity would not be the success it is.

A tribute from Margaret Walker:

It is with great fondness and respect that I will remember Lynda, as will many Makaton Tutors and work colleagues. She was the very first Makaton Training Officer, being appointed in the early 1980’s, just as interest in the Makaton Language Programme was increasing from all over the UK, and the need to provide relevant training was growing.

These were the pioneering days, when a small group of professionals including Lynda, joined me, not just to provide Makaton training, but to design and formalise the actual courses to suit the differing needs of parents, carers and a wide range of professionals. Lynda worked tirelessly so that we could provide a network of highly trained Makaton Tutors across the UK and many will remember her for the support and encouragement she gave them.

When interest in Makaton came from other countries, it was Lynda who joined me to take up the challenge, in countries as different as Norway, the USA, Kuwait and India.

I will always be grateful to Lynda for the personal loyalty and support that she gave me throughout and the invaluable contribution she made to the Makaton Charity.

Margaret Walker MBE
Founder of Makaton

Published

9th January 2023

A massive thank you to everyone who took part in our Countdown to Christmas.

To help you get through the dark days of January we’ve put together a few highlights and outtakes. Enjoy!

Published

8th January 2023

MakaHike '21 was Snowdon (the highest mountain in Wales); Makahike '22 was Ben Nevis (the highest in Scotland)… introducing MakaHike '23, the highest in England, Scafell Pike.

Standing at 3209ft Scafell Pike's summit is the highest point in England, with beautiful views of the lake district, rolling hills and valleys come and join us supported by a team of qualified mountain leaders on this ‘bucket list’ challenge! We will be climbing Scafell Pike from Wasdale. The journey there and back is 9km.

Come and join us in the Lake District, to the summit of Scafell Pike, on Saturday 22nd April 2023, to raise funds for The Makaton Charity. At the top there will be a Makaton ‘sing and sign’, again led by Suzanne Miell-Ingram from Singing Hands to celebrate our achievement and promote the wonderful work of The Makaton Charity.

Are you ready for the challenge? Cost is £49.00 per person with a minimum fundraising target £150. Email richard.fish@makaton.org for the application form.

Published

18th October 2022

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas from everyone at The Makaton Charity and our international partners!

Published

10th January 2022

To celebrate the upcoming Countdown to Christmas  we are giving you the chance to win a beautiful handmade felt Advent calendar with Makaton Symbols.

For each day during Advent there is a hand sewn Christmas character and corresponding symbol.

For your chance to win, head over to our Facebook page and leave a comment on our post telling us your favourite Makaton moment of the year.

This could be, for example, a child using Makaton for the first time, a student using a choice board, your organisation becoming Makaton Friendly, or enjoying our Monday Sign of the Week! We would love to hear your Makaton stories!

Please note this item contains small parts, use under supervision.

Terms and Conditions

1. The promoter is: The Makaton Charity (company no. 06280108) whose registered office is at 66 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3LH.
2. The competition is open to residents of the United Kingdom aged 18 years or over except employees of The Makaton Charity and their close relatives and anyone otherwise connected with the organisation or judging of the competition.
3. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.
4. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
5. Route to entry for the competition and details of how to enter are via makaton.org/TMC/News_Stories/News/Win_an_Advent_calendar
6. Only one entry will be accepted per person. Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified.
7. Closing date for entry will be 12pm 22nd November 2022. After this date the no further entries to the competition will be permitted.
8. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
9. The rules of the competition and how to enter are as follows: Write a comment directly on the Facebook post stating your favourite Makaton moment of the year.
10. The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice in any event outside of the promoter’s control. Any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.
11. The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this competition.
12. The prize is as follows: Handmade felt Advent calendar with Makaton Symbols.
13. The prize is as stated and no cash or other alternatives will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.

Published

16th November 2022

We're taking 20% off all downloads in the Makaton shop, and 10% off all other products.*

There's something for everyone. Whether you're looking for products and resources to support you at home or at work, or just want to give your loved ones a gift that will make them smile.

Just use the promotion code WINTER22 when you checkout.

The relevant discount will be applied to the total cost of your order.

Sale ends 31st December 2022.

*excluding Membership and Tutor resources

Published

It is with real sadness that we read of the passing of our Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. She has been a guiding hand to our nation and an inspiration to all in our community and will be deeply missed. We offer our sincere condolences to the King and all His Family; our thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult time.

Published

9th September 2022

Congratulations to our MakaHikers who completed Ben Nevis to raise funds for The Makaton Charity. Our team of intrepid MakaHikers have raised over £9,500 so far!

Thank you to everyone who has donated, all money raised will enable the Makaton Charity to continue our vital work to ensure anyone with learning or communication difficulties has the tools and resources they need to understand and be understood.

It's not too late to support our MakaHikers and any donation, no matter how big or small, will make a difference to the lives of Makaton users and those who support them. Make a donation

Published

12th September 2022

We are delighted to announce we have been working with Sky to launch a brand new Makaton-friendly page which you can find on Sky Q!

The Makaton destination page on Sky Q is packed full of shows and films based on the suggestions and top picks of the Makaton community around the country, including many of your regular favourites, a range of great films and much more. There is a range of different categories, all with Makaton symbols in the images to help you find your way around easily.

To access it, grab your Sky Q voice remote and just say ‘Makaton’, ‘Makaton friendly’, ‘Makaton area’ or ‘Makaton shows’ into it to open it up.

We hope you enjoy and would love to hear your feedback and thoughts on how it works and if there’s anything we should add! If you have any feedback please email help@makaton.org.

Click here to find out more about Sky Q

Published

30th August 2022

A school in Stoke hosted the launch of a new national resource it helped develop to help children with special educational needs to learn, understand and communicate about sexual abuse. NSPCC Talk PANTS with Makaton, launched at Watermill School on Thursday, June 23, features Pantosaurus, a friendly dinosaur, who uses age-appropriate language to help primary schoolchildren understand that their body belongs to them and to recognise when something is not okay and how to tell someone.

The new scheme will be the first time Pantosaurus has shared resources using Makaton, a unique language programme for people with disabilities that features symbols, signs and speech to help improve communication. The project has been developed by the NSPCC Together for Childhood Stoke partnership, Watermill School and The Makaton Charity, and will soon be shared across the UK.

Brigitta Beckett, from Watermill School, said: “We’re really proud to be part of this project, as it will give children a voice in difficult situations, particularly those who have communication difficulties. “We got involved with the NSPCC Together for Childhood Stoke project several years ago, when Coventry University asked us to take part in some new research. The parents from our Watermill Parents Group became involved and discussed the challenges that lots of their children faced when communicating, especially around helping to keep them safe from sexual abuse. “It was during these discussions that the idea of NSPCC Talk PANTS with Makaton originated from and although it has taken some time, we are so excited that we can finally share the resources with everyone. We know that these resources will make a huge difference to so many children and we are really pleased that we have been part of such a fantastic project.”

Since the PANTS campaign was launched, over 1.5 million parents have spoken to their children about the PANTS rules - . Rachel Wallace, NSPCC Local Campaigns Manager for the Midlands, said: “We’re delighted to be launching these new resources at Watermill School where the idea for these resources first came about. Once launched, anyone across the UK will be able to access these resources via our website. “Talk PANTS helps all children understand that their body belongs to them, and they should try to tell someone they trust if anything makes them feel upset or worried. Children with disabilities are three to four times more likely to be abused than those without disabilities, so helping children with a range of needs to talk PANTS is really important. “Children who use Makaton can now learn about the PANTS rules by watching a series of short films and they can continue the conversation with teachers and parents by using Makaton symbols and signs from our free downloads.”

The new free resources have been created in partnership with The Makaton Charity and include:

Six films – one for each of the five PANTS rules and a summary film
A guide for parents and carers
A children’s booklet
A prompt card pack which can be printed, laminated and cut into individual prompt cards

Published

30th June 2022

Liverpool FC’s Official Mascot Mighty Red and the LFC Foundation have become the first ever Mascot programme and Premier League Football Foundation to be awarded Makaton Friendly Status.

By joining the Makaton Friendly scheme, the Reds can make their services accessible to everyone, especially those who use Makaton to aid their communication. As Mighty Red is a non-verbal character the use of Makaton will support fan engagement on matchdays at Anfield and Prenton Park and during his non-matchday community appearances and Anfield Tours.

To get accredited by The Makaton Charity, Mighty Red and LFC Foundation completed the Makaton Training and were awarded silver status, the highest accreditation. This involved learning Core Vocabulary along with special sports associated words.

Rishi Jain, senior manager ED&I at LFC said: “We’re proud to achieve Makaton Friendly Silver status and recognised for making our club as inclusive and accessible as possible to every fan.  “This has been an important piece of work by both the foundation and the mascot team and one we are immensely proud of. Thanks to The Makaton Charity, we can now ensure that all of LFCF’s Kicks Inclusion, SEN, Mental Health sessions and Mighty Red appearances are inclusive to all of those who require the use of Makaton to aid communication.”

Hannah Anderson, Membership and Partnerships Director from The Makaton Charity, commented: "We are thrilled to award the Liverpool Football Club Mascot Mighty Red and the Liverpool Football Club Foundation with Makaton Friendly Silver status in recognition of enabling their staff to learn Makaton signs and symbols to support people with communication difficulties. “The Makaton Charity exists to ensure everyone living with learning or communication difficulties has the tools and resources they need to understand and be understood. The charity aims to ensure that as many people as possible have access to Makaton and initiatives such as the Makaton Friendly partnership programme are a key tool in making organisations and community spaces more accessible to Makaton users. “The scheme drives inclusivity to help create a fairer and more tolerant society for all. This ensures that the excellent work done by organisations such as Liverpool Football Club continues within the community so that all visitors feel welcome"

Head to Mighty Red’s Instagram to see how to sign You’ll Never Walk Alone, Hello My Name Is and I Love LFC in Makaton.

Find out more about Becoming a Makaton Friendly Partner

Published

27th June 2022

To celebrate the launch of the NSPCC Talk PANTS with Makaton resources, we are giving you the chance to win a Pantosaurus goodie bag!

For a chance to win, head over to our Facebook page, post a comment directly on the post, with a video signing one of the PANTS rules.

Find out more about NSPCC Talk PANTS with Makaton

Terms and Conditions

1. The promoter is: The Makaton Charity (company no. 06280108) whose registered office is at 66 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3LH.
2. The competition is open to residents of the United Kingdom aged 18 years or over except employees of The Makaton Charity and their close relatives and anyone otherwise connected with the organisation or judging of the competition.
3. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.
4. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
5. Route to entry for the competition and details of how to enter are via https://makaton.org/TMC/News_Stories/News/Win_a_Pantosaurus_Goodie_Bag.aspx
6. Only one entry will be accepted per person. Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified.
7. Closing date for entry will be 16th July 2022. After this date the no further entries to the competition will be permitted.
8. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
9. The rules of the competition and how to enter are as follows: Post a comment directly on the Facebook post with a video signing one of the PANTS rules.
10. The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice in any event outside of the promoter’s control. Any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.
11. The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this competition.
12. The prize is as follows: Pantosaurus Goodie Bag.
13. The prize is as stated and no cash or other alternatives will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.
14. Winners will be chosen at random by software, from all entries received and verified by The Makaton Charity.
15. The winners will be notified by DM on Facebook within 28 days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or do not claim the prize within 14 days of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
16. The Makaton Charity will notify the winners when and where the prize can be collected / is delivered.
17. The Makaton Charity’s decision in respect of all matters to do with the competition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
18. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
19. The competition and these terms and conditions will be governed by English law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.
20. The winners agree to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material, as well as their entry. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.
21. Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.
22. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other Social Network. You are providing your information to The Makaton Charity and not to any other party.

Published

10th November 2021

We are launching a Makaton International Awareness Day, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Makaton Language Programme, which will take place on Sunday 28th August. Get your flags at the ready, bake that cake and grab yourself a picnic as we are having Makaton inspired garden parties around the country to celebrate!

We would love you to take part by flying the Makaton flag with us and hosting your own garden or house party. We have been busy making free resources for you to download, to decorate and give your party some Makaton magic. Including Makaton bunting, cake wraps and flags.

We have chosen the 28th August to celebrate our wonderful Makaton community as it is the Makaton founder Margaret Walker’s birthday. Within the resources there is a very special ‘colour in’ flag postcard where you can write a birthday wish to Margaret Walker.

Click here to download Makaton International Awareness Day Resources

We also have a range of new items available from the shop, including T-Shirts, wristbands, flags, and button badges  .

Take photos of your Makaton party and share on social media using the hashtags #MakatonAwareness #FlagsForMakaton

If you wish to fundraise alongside your party, we’ve created some fundraising ideas to get your imagination flowing as well as a sponsorship form located within the resources area.

Fundraising ideas A-Z

Sponsorship form

Donations can also be made online via https://makaton.enthuse.com/profile

Published

12th July 2022

Special iApps and The Makaton Charity have been working closely to enable the Makaton Language Programme to be used as part of the Special iApps Membership.

Special iApps are pleased to offer a growing set of resources that include images of official Makaton symbols with corresponding text and audio. These are currently available to download and use in the Special Words Plus app, which is available as part of the Special iApps Membership.

To access the resources you must have a membership to both Special iApps and Makaton. Makaton symbol add-ons are currently provided for Special Words Plus only. These resources are grouped according to your Makaton Membership level and the ones that you can access therefore depend on your current membership level. Free and Standard resources are now available, Premium resources are coming soon.

Using these resources in Special Words Plus is a great way to learn and reinforce sign-based communication, as well as encouraging speech and other skills.

To view and use Makaton resources in Special Words Plus you need to login to your Makaton Membership account and copy your iMIS ID number, you'll be required to enter this into your Special iApps account and will link your two accounts together. Once linked the Makaton vocabulary will remain available to use within Special Words Plus. You are required to have both a valid Special iApps Membership as well as valid Makaton Membership to use the apps together.

To celebrate the launch of this new partnership, Special iApps are offering a 50% discount to Makaton Members until July 31st. Please visit https://www.specialiapps.org/en/subscribe-special-iapps and apply the discount code MAKATONJUL50 which will give you 50% off your first years’ membership to Special iApps.

(Discounted rates: 1 device membership usually costs £50, but is £25 for Makaton Members. 3 device membership usually costs £100, but is £50 Makaton Members)

Published

27th June 2022

Makaton Signing for Babies and Families (MSBF) is for parents, family members or carers who would like to sign with babies and children in their care and have no previous experience of Makaton. These 6 sessions are designed for you and your child to have fun and learn together. 

The sessions are designed to encourage the development of communication and language skills in babies and toddlers. All the sessions are fun and interactive for you and your child. You will learn approximately 100 Makaton signs and symbols using songs, games and activities.

How can I teach this within my community?

You can become an MSBF Trainer and deliver Makaton Signing for Babies and Families to parents, carers and Early Years Professionals and the children in their care.

As a Makaton Trainer, you can now maximise your income by offering freelance training services. Build your own business, on your own terms, at a pace that you decide. Your MSBF sessions can be advertised on the Makaton website.

The MSBF Train the Trainer Course focuses on information giving, signing and activities. It also includes sessions on the delivery of Makaton Signing for Babies and Families , paying particular attention to the format and presentation of sessions, to encourage learning while having fun.

It’s a one day course where you will be required to deliver a session from the Makaton Signing for Babies and Families course.

Prior to applying to become a Makaton Signing for Babies and Families Trainer, you must have attended the following workshops within the last 5 years.

• Makaton Signing for Babies and Families Sessions
• Level 1 and 2 Workshops

To find MSBF courses and MSBF Train the Trainer courses you can search all available workshops here

Published

25th April 2022