Signed with Makaton
World Nursery Rhyme Week (10th – 14th November 2025) was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the role that nursery rhymes, and Makaton, play in early communication and connection. For the sixth year running, the official Makaton-signed songs were created by Makaton Tutor Jen Ellison, whose enthusiasm and coordination bring this project to life each year alongside a brilliant team of volunteers.
Jen tells us all about this brilliant project:
I am really excited that for the sixth consecutive year we have the Makaton-signed songs for World Nursery Rhyme Week (WNRW)!
WNRW is a week celebrating the importance of nursery rhymes. Nursery rhymes help with vocabulary and sound awareness. Using rhymes with actions supports motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Tuning in to the rhythm is great for attention, listening, and understanding sentence structure. Sharing a nursery rhyme with others is wonderful for bonding too!
Each year, I lead and coordinate the Makaton-signed songs for WNRW. My focus is predominantly on working with Children's Activity Providers, and you can find me at ABC Makaton Training. I'm a specialist Speech and Language Therapist, and I'm passionate about promoting nursery rhymes to support communication and connection.
Every year, I invite volunteers from my pool of Makaton Tutors to help promote inclusion and improve the accessibility of WNRW for children and families through the addition of visual Makaton Signs and Symbols.
I work closely with the amazing team at Piccolo Music, who create original children's music as well as thoughtful adaptations of classic nursery rhymes. The songs and activities spark imagination and learning through play, and they're a joy to sign along with!
The five official nursery rhymes for 2025 were:
- Sing a Song of Sixpence
- Humpty Dumpty
- When I Was One
- I Hear Thunder
- Two Little Dickie Birds
The signed songs are available on Piccolo Music's YouTube playlist, along with favourites from previous years enjoyed by thousands of schools and families around the world.
A huge thank-you to Jen and the wonderful Makaton Tutors who contribute to this project each year. Your creativity and commitment help make nursery rhymes even more inclusive, playful, and joyful for children and families.
We hope you enjoyed watching, singing, and signing along! If you're a Makaton Tutor who'd like to be involved next year, Jen would love to hear from you: