The children were making the sign with their hands to indicate a twinkling star as they sang along to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, when staff asked them to use a different gesture - prompting a furious response from one parent.
The disgruntled mother said: "It seems a little politically correct. These are innocent little children just making a sign to show a star. No-one would give it a second thought. Now every parent may worry their child may be making an offensive gesture when they're singing this song."
A spokeswoman for City of York Council, who are responsible for the Sure Start mother and toddler group in Acomb, York, denied it was a case of political correctness, insisting it was more "a sensible decision taken to prevent deaf children or deaf parents being offended by the use of the gesture".
She added that staff at the Sure Start group had been on a sign language course at which they were advised that the "star" gesture was very similar to the sign used for female genitalia.
The staff used a language programme called Makaton which uses signs and symbols to help people communicate, she said. Makaton is designed to support spoken language by using sign and symbols use with speech in spoken word order.
She said that staff realised it was a sensitive matter and, using their own discretion, had decided to use the accurate hand sign for a star.
The spokeswoman added: "Parents have not been banned from using the other sign and City of York Council does not have a policy over this matter."
Singing the nursery rhyme Twinkle Twinkle Little Star can involve making an upright diamond gesture - which it appears may have been misconstrued for the sign for female genitalia, which is an inverted diamond.
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