Out of this World

Fun to have

e P a rk in the Dark Monkey, elephant an

Th
d
puppy toys and masks
.
Martin Waddell
This is a rhyming picture book. It has a repetitive refrain and a poetic quality.
It’s about three toys who go out at night in the dark – to the park! An extract
is provided here but it is worth sharing the full picture book if you can. The
narrative tells an exciting story tinged with fear, so it lends itself to some
exploration of mood and feelings in relation to time of day and the sounds
we hear. Children will also enjoy acting out the scenarios.

1 Warm up
Ask the children to:
s 3HAKE EACH HAND THEN EACH LEG 4HEN SHAKE ALL OVER
s )MAGINE THEY ARE RUNNING VERY FAST AND PUFlNG AND BLOWING
– blow one, two, three, four, five times. Then pretend to blow
slowly, whilst counting to five.
s #HEW A PRETEND TOFFEE AND THEN MAKE A BIG SMILE
s 7HISPER @WHOOPEE SAY IT LOUDER THEN SAY IT EVEN MORE LOUDLY

2 Tune in
s 4ELL THE CHILDREN THAT THE POEM IS FROM A PICTURE BOOK STORY CALLED The
Park in the Dark. Point out that ‘PARK – DARK’, ‘DARK – PARK’ rhymes!
s )F YOU CAN READ THE RHYME THROUGH USING THE TEXT WITH THE PICTURES
.OTE THAT THE VERSION IN THIS RESOURCE IN AN EDITED VERSION
s 9OU MAY WANT TO CHOOSE THREE TOYS OR PUPPETS TO SHOW THE
CHILDREN AS YOU READ A MONKEY AN ELEPHANT AND A PUPPY 
Children either need to see the toys or your face as you read.
s #HECK THE CHILDRENS UNDERSTANDING OF THE POEM 2EITERATE THAT
there are three friends who go to the park in the dark. Ask the
children: Have any of you been out in the dark with friends or
parents? What do you think the ‘THING’ is? What makes a sound
like that? If the children are not sure, suggest you listen to
recording 1 to see if that offers further clues.
s ,ISTEN TO RECORDING  AND ENCOURAGE THE CHILDREN TO LISTEN OUT
Recording 1 for the THING. Ask the children: Does it scare the ‘three’? Why?
Read in rhyme with sound Would it scare you if you heard a loud sound in the dark?
effects. s ,ISTEN AGAIN AND GET THE CHILDREN TO JOIN IN WITH THE REPETITIVE REFRAIN
@x ME AND ,OOPY AND ,ITTLE 'EE ALL THREE x ALL THREE x WE THREE
x JUST THREE x THE "IG 4HREE x SCARED THREE x WE THREE x ALL
three.’ The children will automatically want to join in with the
‘WHOOPEE!’ and ‘YAAAAA AAAIII OOOOOEEEEEEE!’ of the train.

s 2EREAD THE POEM OR LISTEN TO RECORDING  !SK THE CHILDREN TO REALLY

3 Model and explore listen to the repetitive refrain and how it is said differently in each
stanza in order to tell us more about the toys and their adventure.
s !SK THE CHILDREN TO JOIN IN WITH THE REPETITIVE REFRAIN AND ON @ME
ask them to point to themselves.
s &OCUS ON USING THE VOICE AND VOLUME TO REmECT THE TOYS EMOTIONS
during their adventure. Ask the children if they can say stanza 2
softly and quite quietly as they creep out. Then ask them if they
can shiver and say ‘shivery‘ in stanza 3 in a shivery voice.
36
 Poetry by Heart Foundation

Recording 2 The refrain needs to reflect the shivery coldness of the night. Tell
Read more slowly and with the children that it is exciting but a bit scary.
some pauses to allow for s 'ET THE CHILDREN TO PRACTISE SAYING @7(//0%%
 IN A BIG HAPPY
accompanying actions to be voice in stanza 4 and to use the same voice in stanza 5 when the
performed.
toys are playing. They need to say ‘the Big Three’ in a strong
confident way to show the friends have no worries now.
s &OR STANZA  ASK THE CHILDREN TO USE A WORRIED VOICE %NCOURAGE
them to say the words dramatically and choose a few children to
EXPERIMENT WITH MAKING THE TRAIN NOISE OR USE INSTRUMENTS 
s &OR STANZAS  AND  ASK THE CHILDREN TO USE A SCARED BREATHLESS VOICE
as they hurry away. Practise saying the stanza quite quickly to give a
sense of urgency. Ask them to say ‘scared three’ in a scared voice.
s &OR THE lNAL STANZA ASK THE CHILDREN TO PAUSE A SECOND 3AY THE
words more slowly and with relief – ask them if they can make
‘all three’ sound like they are relieved to be home, safe and sound.
s 2EPEAT SEVERAL TIMES UNTIL THE CHILDREN ARE FAMILIAR AND
comfortable with saying the words in these ways.
s Support: Some children will benefit from working in a smaller
group to help with learning the poem.

4 Rehearse
s $ISCUSS HOW TO BREAK THE RHYME UP INTO ITS PARTS WITH ACTIONS
Ask the children to say and act out each action. Focus on simple
but big movements and give children time to co-ordinate.
s Stanza 1: arm movement to indicate sun down and moon
rising; something to make a creaking sound.
tips s Stanza 2: pretend to step softly and look small.
s Stanza 3: pretend to shiver and then be still.
You might choose three
children to front the
s Stanza 4: painting of lake and a bridge, or use a gym mat and
performance. These front low bench for the toys to cross.
performers could hold a toy s Stanza 5: children could act out each movement – swing,
or wear masks. Give several slide, dance, jump, chase. If using toys, ensure that the
children the opportunity to children hold them high whilst performing the actions.
be the main characters at s Stanza 6: make the train noise – decide what instruments you
different times. need to make the sound. Everyone should look scared.
s Stanzas 7 and 8: children pretend to run – looking scared.
s Stanza 9: pretend to climb upstairs and then sit down; lie
down and close eyes.
s )F YOU CHOOSE TO PERFORM TO AN AUDIENCE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM THE
children will need to practise this poem over a few days to refine it.

s 7HEN PERFORMING THE POEM YOU MAY WISH TO USE RECORDING  TO

5 Perform help with timing.
s %NSURE THE CHILDREN HAVE SUFlCIENT ROOM TO SAFELY PERFORM THEIR
actions.
tips s )F THE PERFORMANCE IS LOW KEY AND IN CLASS JUST PRACTISE
performing for each other and allow several children the chance
You may wish to begin with a to take on the role of the toys.
straight recital of the rhyme to s )F THE PERFORMANCE IS FOR AN AUDIENCE YOU WILL NEED TO PRACTISE
give the children time to focus several times in the exact place where the children will be
on the words before they focus performing, so they are confident about the space and their
on the actions. This will also place within it.
give the audience time to
understand the context.

37
 Dark
The Park in t h e
by Martin Waddell

When the sun goes down and the moon comes up

and the old swing creaks in the dark,
that’s when we go to the park,
me and Loopy and Little Gee, all three.

Softly down the staircase, through the haunty hall,

trying to look small,
me and Loopy and Little Gee, we three.

It’s shivery out in the dark on our way to the park,

down dustbin alley, past the ruined mill, so still,
just me and Loopy and Little Gee, just three.*

In the park in the dark by the lake and the bridge,

that’s when we see where we want to be,
me and Loopy and Little Gee. WHOOPEE!

And we swing and we slide and we dance and we jump and we chase
all over the place,
me and Loopy and Little Gee, the Big Three!
 And then the THING comes!
YAAAAA AAAIII
OOOOOEEEEEEE!

RUN RUN RUN shouts Little Gee to Loopy and me

and we flee,
me and Loopy and Little Gee, scared three.

Back where we’ve come through the park in the dark

and the THING is roaring and following, see?
After me and Loopy and Little Gee, we three.

Up to the house, to the stair, to the bed

where we ought to be,
me and Loopy and Little Gee,
safe as can be, all three.

*missing verses from the picture book