Makaton Water Safety Video

This resource is a Makaton signing video about water safety.  Makaton is a multi-modal using speech, signs and symbols.  Learning to stay safe around water is important for everyone and the messages are to be shared with both children and their parents and carers. 

 Symbol resources in Makaton and Widgit have been created to support learning of the water safety code which is to:

• Stop and think
• Stay together
• Float
• Call 999 

There are also Makaton water safety symbols in both long and short versions to accompany this resource.  These resources can be found linked below.

Designed by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service and Gareth Smith, Makaton Ambassador and in collaboration with Severndale Academy, RLSS UK and RNLI.

To allow maximum learning opportunities:-

• Use alongside the Makaton water safety symbols which can be found linked below.
• Use with water safety photographs to support learning and understanding (some children for example may never have seen a throw/life ring, life jacket or noticed signs that say danger and will have different experiences of water in their area or may never have experienced coastal locations).
• For float: teach the float to live message – 1. Tilt your head back with ears in water and stretch out arms and legs. 2. Relax and try to breathe normally. 3. Move your hands to help you stay afloat. Also to throw something that floats to someone in trouble in the water like a football or life ring.