Ms. Rachel

Rachel Anne Griffin was born in Biddeford, Maine, and raised in Sanford, Maine. She participated in theater at Sanford High School and later attended the University of Southern Maine. She earned a master's degree in music education from New York University in 2016 and a second master's degree in early childhood education from the American College of Education.

Before launching her channel, she worked with children in several educational settings. Her experience included a summer program for disabled children, music instruction for refugee children through the Boys & Girls Club in Maine, and teaching music at a public preschool in New York City.

Accurso launched her YouTube channel in 2019 under the name Ms. Rachel. The channel's central series, Songs for Littles, grew from an in-person class and was created in response to her son Thomas's speech delay. Thomas did not say his first word until he was two, and his early-intervention speech therapist's techniques helped inspire the program's focus on language milestones and interactive communication.

The series combines nursery rhymes, original songs, hand motions, sign language, phonics, movement, and lessons about emotions and everyday concepts. Its videos commonly place Accurso's face and mouth prominently on screen, use repetition and pauses for children to respond, and present lessons in short segments. Her recognizable costume includes a pink shirt, overalls, and a headband.

Songs for Littles features a cast and crew that includes actress and teacher Keisha Gilles, speech therapist Frida Matute, diversity and inclusion consultant Alexa Smith, animator and editor Beth Jean, singer-songwriter Jules Hoffman, and actress Natalie Kaye Clater. Accurso's husband Aron Accurso writes and arranges music for the series and operates the puppet characters Georgie and Herbie. The program has also featured guests including journalist Gadi Schwartz.

The franchise expanded beyond YouTube through TikTok, a toy line, and Netflix. Netflix premiered four compilation episodes in January 2025, and a second season premiered in September 2025. Accurso also received the Kids and Family award at the 2023 Streamy Awards and the Fan Favorite Kids' Creator award at the 2025 Kids' Choice Awards.

Accurso has used her social-media platforms to advocate for children affected by war, displacement, and detention. In 2024, she organized a fundraising campaign for Save the Children's emergency fund covering children affected by conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She later disabled comments on her YouTube and Instagram accounts after facing online bullying connected to her advocacy.

She has repeatedly called for humanitarian aid for children in Gaza and has spoken about the suffering of children on all sides of the conflict. In 2025, she sang with a three-year-old double amputee from Gaza who had been brought to the United States by the Palestine Children's Relief Fund.

Accurso has also spoken against the detention of children by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Her petition to close the Dilley Immigration Processing Center gained more than 324,000 signatures, and she later visited Capitol Hill with letters and drawings from children held there.

Accurso was honored with New York University's Dorothy Height Distinguished Alumni Award in 2024. She was also recognized as a Glamour Woman of the Year alongside Pat McGrath, Lexie Hull, Napheesa Collier, Jonquel Jones, Nyara Sabally, and Satou Sabally.

Her program received nominations at the Children's and Family Emmy Awards for Outstanding Preschool, Children's or Family Viewing Series and for Outstanding Writing for a Preschool or Children's Series for "Potty Training with Ms. Rachel."