Get Back Up Again (5 Minute Rhythm & Rhyme)

Sing, learn the signs and do body percussion along to Get Back Up Again performed by Anna Kendrick for Trolls with Southampton & Isle of Wight Music Hubs.

Join in with our inclusive series of musical and sensory activities created for SEND pupils in Early Years and Key Stage 1. Featuring action songs, rhythms, rhymes and of course Makaton signs, join in with Vicky where you can!

Winter Things (5 Minute Rhythm & Rhyme)

Sing, learn the signs and do body percussion along to Winter Things by Ariana Grande with Southampton & Isle of Wight Music Hubs.

Join in with our inclusive series of musical and sensory activities created for SEND pupils in Early Years and Key Stage 1. Featuring action songs, rhythms, rhymes and of course Makaton signs, join in with Vicky where you can!

Blankets Of Snow (5 Minute Rhythm & Rhyme)

Sing, learn the signs and do body percussion along to Blankets of Snow by The Okee Dokee Brothers with Southampton & Isle of Wight Music Hubs.

Join in with our inclusive series of musical and sensory activities created for SEND pupils in Early Years and Key Stage 1. Featuring action songs, rhythms, rhymes and of course Makaton signs, join in with Vicky where you can!

The Christmas Box (5 Minute Rhythm & Rhyme)

Sing, learn the signs and do body percussion along to The Christmas Box by Tee and Mo Songtime for Cbeebies with Southampton & Isle of Wight Music Hubs.

Join in with our inclusive series of musical and sensory activities created for SEND pupils in Early Years and Key Stage 1. Featuring action songs, rhythms, rhymes and of course Makaton signs, join in with Vicky where you can!

Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town (5 Minute Rhythm & Rhyme)

Sing, learn the signs and do body percussion along to Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town with Southampton & Isle of Wight Music Hubs.

Join in with our inclusive series of musical and sensory activities created for SEND pupils in Early Years and Key Stage 1. Featuring action songs, rhythms, rhymes and of course Makaton signs, join in with Vicky where you can!

Being Kind Song (5 Minute Rhythm & Rhyme)

Sing, learn the signs and do body percussion along to Being Kind Song by Hey Duggee with Southampton & Isle of Wight Music Hubs.

Join in with our inclusive series of musical and sensory activities created for SEND pupils in Early Years and Key Stage 1. Featuring action songs, rhythms, rhymes and of course Makaton signs, join in with Vicky where you can!

Celebrate Diwali (5 Minute Rhythm & Rhyme)

Sing, learn the signs and do body percussion along to Celebrate Diwali with Sesame Street with Southampton & Isle of Wight Music Hubs.

Join in with our inclusive series of musical and sensory activities created for SEND pupils in Early Years and Key Stage 1. Featuring action songs, rhythms, rhymes and of course Makaton signs, join in with Vicky where you can!

Rockets (5 Minute Rhythm & Rhyme)

Sing, learn the signs and do body percussion along to Rockets by Ella Henderson with Southampton & Isle of Wight Music Hubs.

Join in with our inclusive series of musical and sensory activities created for SEND pupils in Early Years and Key Stage 1. Featuring action songs, rhythms, rhymes and of course Makaton signs, join in with Vicky where you can!

Who's That Pulling The Sleigh! (10 Minute Sign & Sing)

Key Stage 2

Learn Makaton signs, singing and body percussion for Who’s That Pulling The Sleigh! from The Christmas Songbook by Jo Downs with Southampton and Isle of Wight Music Hubs, then try it out with the performance video.

LEARNING VIDEO — LEARN THE LYRICS, SINGING, BODY PERCUSSION AND THE SIGNS

PERFORM ALONG VIDEO — PLAY, SING AND SIGN ALONG THROUGH THE WHOLE SONG

He's The Grinch (5 Minute Rhythm & Rhyme)

Sing, learn the signs and do body percussion along to He’s The Grinch from The Christmas Songbook by Jo Downs with Southampton & Isle of Wight Music Hubs.

Join in with our inclusive series of musical and sensory activities created for SEND pupils in Early Years and Key Stage 1. Featuring action songs, rhythms, rhymes and of course Makaton signs, join in with Vicky where you can!

There's an Elf on my Shelf (5 Minute Rhythm & Rhyme)

Sing, learn the signs and do body percussion along to There’s An Elf On My Shelf from The Christmas Songbook by Jo Downs with Southampton & Isle of Wight Music Hubs.

Join in with our inclusive series of musical and sensory activities created for SEND pupils in Early Years and Key Stage 1. Featuring action songs, rhythms, rhymes and of course Makaton signs, join in with Vicky where you can!

I'm In Love With A Monster (5 Minute Rhythm & Rhyme)

Sing, learn the signs and do body percussion along to I'm In Love With A Monster from Hotel Transylvania 2 with Southampton & Isle of Wight Music Hubs.

Join in with our inclusive series of musical and sensory activities created for SEND pupils in Early Years and Key Stage 1. Featuring action songs, rhythms, rhymes and of course Makaton signs, join in with Vicky where you can!

The Christmas Stories Songbook

For Christmas 2023 Southampton & Isle of Wight music hub have commissioned a brand new songbook with original material written by music hub composer Jo Downs based on some well known Christmas storybook favourites and seasonal tales.

This set of songs will be used for the 4th December performance at Southampton Guildhall and the 5th December Christmas at Osborne House day as optional content. Please feel free to use this however you would like to use this in your own settings too regardless of your involvement in these projects!

For those involved in the Southampton performances:

Alongside this we would like you and the young people in your setting to CHOOSE a song from the 10 Minute Sign & Sing (KS2+) or 5 Minute Rhythm and Rhyme (KS1+) back catalogue you would like to perform. You can browse the Christmas content in one place HERE

A teacher’s meeting will take place online on Wednesday 1st November from 4pm - 5pm to discuss logistics for the 4th December and to introduce the songs.



ORIGINAL Songs and suggested age ranges:

He’s The Grinch Key Stage 1

There’s an Elf on the Shelf Key Stage 1

Who’s That Pulling The Sleigh Key Stage 2 & 3 (optional chorus for Key Stage 1)

Wishing For Joy Key Stage 2 & 3 (optional chorus for Key Stage 1)

Beneath The Winter Snow Key Stage 2 &


He’s The Grinch (Key Stage 1)

Based on Dr Seuss’ festive favourite - this song tells the story of The Grinch. There will be some simple actions or makaton signs to learn for the chorus. As there are a few verses we may assign these to particular schools so that we don’t have to learn all of them at once.


There’s An Elf On My Shelf (Key Stage 1)

This funk track is all about that naughty Elf on the Shelf! This song has a repeated chorus and verse so not too many words to remember and an optional 2 part ending - if you’re not sure of this then just stick to repeating “I’ll miss that Elf”. Key Stage 2 students might like to join in with this one in the chorus.


Who’s That Pulling The Sleigh?! (KEy stage 2+)

This song tells the story of The Christmasaurus written by Tom Fletcher from MyFly in the style of McFly! For this song we will be singing with a live band and it would be great if KS1 students could also learn the chorus of this to join in with if they would like to. There are a lot of words in each verse so I am going to suggest that different schools take a verse to learn each to save on memorising too many lyrics.


Wishing For Joy (Key Stage 2+)

This wonderful song was written by Jo a few years ago but it’s message of kindness, thinking of those less fortunate and Christmas not being about materials things is particlarly relavant now. The chorus changes very subtly each time depending on the themes of the verse preceding it. The final chorus has some optional harmonies which we will workshop with you when we come in to teach the songs. Again if Key Stage 1 children would like to learn the chorus of this to join in with they are very welcome.


Beneath The Winter Snow (Key Stage 2+)

This haunting ballad touches on themes of displacement and refugees and is included as a winter song with no mention of Christmas. The intro and outro features a simple harmony part which will be taught in workshops. There is also an optional harmony which can be learned through the whole melody line if you would like to.

Nia Collins
Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay (5 Minute Rhythm & Rhyme)

Sing, learn the signs and do body percussion along to Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay by Otis Redding with Southampton & Isle of Wight Music Hubs.

Join in with our inclusive series of musical and sensory activities created for SEND pupils in Early Years and Key Stage 1. Featuring action songs, rhythms, rhymes and of course Makaton signs, join in with Vicky where you can!

Little Grey Cloud (5 Minute Rhythm & Rhyme)

Sing, learn the signs and do body percussion along to Little Grey Cloud by Nick Cope with Southampton & Isle of Wight Music Hubs.

Join in with our inclusive series of musical and sensory activities created for SEND pupils in Early Years and Key Stage 1. Featuring action songs, rhythms, rhymes and of course Makaton signs, join in with Vicky where you can!

September (5 Minute Rhythm & Rhyme)

Sing, learn the signs and do body percussion along to September by Earth, Wind & Fire Southampton & Isle of Wight Music Hubs.

Join in with our inclusive series of musical and sensory activities created for SEND pupils in Early Years and Key Stage 1. Featuring action songs, rhythms, rhymes and of course Makaton signs, join in with Vicky where you can!

School of Rock, Teacher's Pet (5 Minute Rhythm & Rhyme)

Sing, learn the signs and do body percussion along to Teacher’s Pet from School of Rock with Southampton & Isle of Wight Music Hubs.

Join in with our inclusive series of musical and sensory activities created for SEND pupils in Early Years and Key Stage 1. Featuring action songs, rhythms, rhymes and of course Makaton signs, join in with Vicky where you can!

Outdoors (5 Minute Rhythm & Rhyme)

Sing, learn the signs and do body percussion along to Outdoors by Jason Mraz and Sesame Street with Southampton & Isle of Wight Music Hubs.

Join in with our inclusive series of musical and sensory activities created for SEND pupils in Early Years and Key Stage 1. Featuring action songs, rhythms, rhymes and of course Makaton signs, join in with Vicky where you can!