It’s Rhyming Fun for Everyone as BookTrust Cymru’s Big Welsh Rhyme Time returns for 2023

Published on: 30 January 2023

BookTrust Cymru, the children’s reading charity, is encouraging families, schools, and early years spaces across Wales to join in with Big Welsh Rhyme time this February.

Now in its fifth year, Big Welsh Rhyme Time is the week-long national celebration of sharing bilingual rhymes, poems, and songs with children in the early years. It is delivered in partnership with libraries, schools, nurseries and many other settings supporting children across Wales.  Families can also join in the fun at home by visiting the BookTrust Cymru website where they will find exclusive videos from authors, poets and storytellers, activity sheets to download, exciting competitions and lots more.

More than 25,000 children aged 0-5 and over 530 early years settings are set to take part in 2023 making this the biggest and best Big Welsh Rhyme Time Yet!

Sharing rhymes and songs is a vital early years activity and can help children develop their speaking and listening skills, as well as aiding attention and concentration. It can develop their language and communication skills, including giving them a head start when they begin to learn to read. It can also build their confidence to speak, sing and join in.

Big Welsh Rhyme Time 2023 will run from 6th – 10th February 2023 and this year’s theme is ‘Rhyming Fun for Everyone’.

Kate Cubbage, Director at BookTrust Cymru said:

‘’It is hugely exciting to see the fifth year of our Wales-wide celebration of song and rhyme reaching more children, families and early years settings than ever before. Funded by Welsh Government, Big Welsh Rhyme Time supports and encourages families all over Wales to have fun singing, rhyming, and sharing stories. Taking part is a great way to strengthen children's relationships with language, build their confidence and support their first steps towards developing a lifelong love of reading. We are grateful for the contributions of our partners including schools, libraries and early years settings, who have worked with us to enable more than 25,000 children across Wales to take part in this week's celebrations."

Big Welsh Rhyme Time 2023 will feature a new rhyme written by Author and Illustrator combo Joanna Davies and Steven Goldstone, also known as Joey Bananas. Known for their successful series of bilingual children’s picture books that feature the funny and silly Bwci Bo characters, BookTrust Cymru are delighted to have the Bwci Bo themselves perform the rhyme in a wonderful animated video, available in both English and Welsh language formats.

There will also be a magical new rhyme and activity from poet and writer, Sarah King, as well as a fun action rhyme and rhyme warm up videos from Actress and Poet, Rhiannon Oliver.

Rhiannon said:

“Rhyme is a fantastic way of exploring the playfulness and power of language. I am delighted to be helping children throughout Wales celebrate Big Welsh Rhyme Time 2023!”

To find out more visit the BookTrust Cymru website or follow @BookTrustCymru on Twitter and Facebook.

Download the press release