Big City Park

Big City Park - Episode 1

Outdoors series. May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. It is May's first day in Big City Park: she is the new park keeper. She meets Ruairi, Billy and Dara who will become her close friends and spends time exploring with the children and getting to know her way around the park. They work together to make a model bird and learn about what kinds of birds live in Big City Park. Ruairi makes some treats for everyone and they all have a fun day.

Big City Park - Everyone Can Sing

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. May, Ruairi and Billy are having fun singing. Dara joins them with her friends the children but she is upset as she thinks she can't sing. They go off into the park exploring and play clapping and singing games along the way, Billy tries hard to teach Dara to sing. They all spend time listening to the animals in the park that can sing, like birds and dogs. Eventually Billy and Dara figure out that it's not how well you sing that is important, it's how much fun you have doing it.

Big City Park - It's Hot Hot Hot

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. It's the hottest of days in Big City Park and Ruairi, Billy, Dara and May are all feeling it. May makes sure that the children are well protected with sun cream and hats for their day in the park. They go exploring in the park and learn about how other animals and insects stay cool in the high temperatures. Billy has trouble keeping up in the heat until they learn how to avoid getting too hot. Ruairi prepares a healthy summer picnic and everyone enjoys his home made fruity ice lollies!

Big City Park - Captain Billy

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. Ruairi tells Billy about his time as a ship's captain, and Billy is keen to be the captain of a ship too and go on adventures like Ruairi. May, Dara, Billy and the children explore the park equipped with binoculars and magnifying glasses to see new things they have never seen before. They discover bird's nests, millipedes and other insects and interesting things. Billy concentrates on trying to spot any passing ships. The group decides it is a good idea to build their own ship in the park, and they use their imagination to help Billy achieve his ambition.

Big City Park - Woodland Workout

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. May is doing her exercises and Billy and Ruairi join in. Dara and her friends arrive and Billy challenges Dara to a race. Dara wins as she is a very fast fox; Billy wants to be as fast as her but doesn't like exercising much. He learns that there are lots of different ways to exercise and that there's a way to suit everyone. Ruairi does tai chi, Dara's city friends exercise by playing street games and Billy gets lots of exercise at the playpark without even realising he is exercising.

Big City Park - I Want to Grow Bigger

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. Ruairi is showing Billy a magic trick and they are both having great fun. May Ruairi and Billy laugh at May's top which has shrunk in the wash but this leads Billy to get upset, as he is the smallest. He wants to grow bigger. May, Billy, Dara and the children go exploring in the park and May teaches them all about things that grow and tells Billy that he will grow too. Dara consults her laptop and discovers that her friends in the city have great fun being small, as they can do things that big people can't! Billy decides they should have a game of hide and seek while he is still small enough to hide. Ruairi makes delicious blueberry muffins that everyone tucks into at the storycircle.

Big City Park - Henry Hedgehog

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. Billy is upset as he has lost his favourite toy, Henry Hedgehog, a toy he made himself. May, Ruairi, Dara and the children all help Billy trying to find it looking everywhere throughout the park. May teaches them a lot about hedgehogs along the way. They learn what hedgehogs eat and how they hibernate in winter. Dara's city friends show us hope they improvise making toys out of anything they find. May and the children decide to make another hedgehog for Billy. Ruairi has prepared lovely treats for everyone at the storycircle.

Big City Park - Sounds of the Park

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. May, Billy, Dara and the children go exploring in the park to listen to the sounds they can hear. They hear birdsong, dogs barking, ice cream vans and lots of other sounds. Billy gets dizzy with all the different noises and he worries about how to remember the sounds they hear. Dara's city friends take little things home to remind them of the sounds they hear, so Billy suggests they do that too. Ruairi prepares treats for everyone and recites one of his famous rhymes.

Big City Park - Follow the Signs

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. May, Billy, Dara and the children go exploring in the park but Billy is worried about getting lost. Ruairi tells Billy that he will try to find his old map of Big City Park to help him find his way around. They all decide to make signs out of things they find in the park. Dara consults her friends in the city to see how they find their way around and they show her how they get to their favourite park. Ruairi can't find his map so he draws a new one to help them all to not get lost. They all tuck into the treats that Ruairi has made for them and they place one of the beautiful forest mobiles they have made into Ruairi's treasure chest.

Big City Park - Ruairi Day

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. May and Ruairi are busily painting the band stand, as there is going to be a concert in the park. Billy is playing tricks on them by making funny noises with a balloon. May discovers that it is Ruairi Day and she heads off into the park with Billy, Dara and the children to find something nice to give Ruairi. Billy is worried that they can't find anything special enough to give him. Dara uses her laptop to find out her city friends know it's more important to have fun and enjoy yourself than worrying about what to take back. They all have fun in the park and go back to see Ruairi at the storycircle, where he has prepared lovely treats for everyone and recites one of his famous rhymes.

Big City Park - Quest for the Chest

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. May is watering flowers when she is surprised by things being thrown around in her hut. Ruairi emerges, he is very upset. He has lost his treasure chest and can't find it anywhere. Billy is upset too and is keen to go searching for it right away. Everyone goes off exploring in the park searching for the chest. Dara learns from her friends in the city how to find things that have been lost. Eventually the chest is found, Ruairi is very happy, Billy has a confession to make and a lesson to learn.

Big City Park - A Load of Rubbish

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. Billy is playing tricks on May and Ruairi but Ruairi turns the tables on him. Dara and her friends go exploring with May and Billy in the park. They help May pick up litter that has been dropped and learn valuable lessons about why people should not litter. They decide to make something useful out of some of the rubbish after learning that Dara's city friends can make cool things from discarded things. Ruairi makes some lovely treats for everyone and they take the things they have made to the storycircle to place in Ruairi's chest to remind them of the fun they have had.

Big City Park - A Magic Carpet Ride

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. Billy is playing tricks on May and Ruairi but Ruairi turns the tables on him. Dara and her friends go exploring with May and Billy in the park. They help May pick up litter that has been dropped and learn valuable lessons about why people should not litter. They decide to make something useful out of some of the rubbish after learning that Dara's city friends can make cool things from discarded things. Ruairi makes some lovely treats for everyone and they take the things they have made to the storycircle to place in Ruairi's chest to remind them of the fun they have had.

Big City Park - Splash

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. May tells Billy and Ruairi that they are going to go to the stream, but this worries Billy. He thinks there is a monster in the stream, but Ruairi finds this hilarious! Dara arrives with the children and they head off to the stream with Billy - reluctantly. May gives them all instructions on how to stay safe at the water. They have fun dipping jars into the stream to see what is there, then they make boats and sail them in the water. Billy discovers his reflection and May teaches him how that works. Dara's city friends show us how they have safe fun at their local pond! Ruairi has been fishing, his net is full of Big City Park strawberries for everyone to enjoy back at the storycircle. The children put one of their leaf boats into Ruairi's chest to remind them of the fun they have had in Big City Park.

Big City Park - Summer Holiday

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. Ruairi and Billy welcome the youngsters to Big City Park as May is on holiday, but May surprises them by appearing in the park after her holiday is unexpectedly cancelled. Dara and her friends arrive and they decide to have a summer holiday in the park to make up for May's disappointment. They have fun sunbathing, pretending to swim on the grass and visiting the stream. Ruairi prepares a lovely summer picnic and everyone enjoys his home-made fruity ice lollies.

Big City Park - Up in the Trees

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. Ruairi and Billy are playing with a ball, but when May has a kick it ends up high in a tree. Billy admits he can't climb up to retrieve it as he doesn't know how to climb trees. The others, helped by the children try to teach him, Dara consults her city friends who show her that you have to practice to learn new things. Billy perseveres despite not being as good as the children at climbing, May keeps an eye on them all to make sure that they are safe. Ruairi meantime makes them all a lovely treat to share when they come to the storycircle.

Big City Park - A Den for Dara

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. Ruairi, Billy and May are spring cleaning when Dara and her friends arrive. Dara tells them she wouldn't have time to clean all her special places, she has them all over the city. Ruairi is surprised that she doesn't have a den in Big City Park and they decide to see if they can find one for her when they are exploring. May teaches them all about where different animals live in the park. Billy goes to consult Dara's friends in the city to see if they have any good ideas and they show how they build their own. They decide to make a den for Dara and they all join in to make it very special. Ruairi has cake for them all when they return to the storycircle.

Big City Park - Making Music Is Easy

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. May seems a bit down and Billy tells her excitedly that there is a brass band in the park today. May is sad because she has been too busy to see them. Billy doesn't really know what a brass band is and May explains. Ruairi lists some of the instruments, Billy thinks the names are really funny and thinks Ruairi is making them up. Dara, May, Billy and the children decide to make their own instruments and head off to explore in the park. Dara consults her friends in the city to see how they make music. Billy conducts the children making music for May, she is delighted. Ruairi has been preparing treats and when they all meet at the storycircle he plays them a tune on his euphonium, Billy is impressed.

Big City Park - Tall Tales

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. Ruairi is telling May and Billy one of his fantastic stories. Billy loves it and wonders if it is true, Ruairi explains most of it is and some is his imagination. Billy becomes upset as he doesn't think he has an imagination. May, Dara and the children set out to show him that everyone has an imagination. Dara consults her city friends who are listening to a story teller and using their imagination. May uses some clever hand movements to help Billy find his imagination and then they all get together to make a show using imagination.

Big City Park - Rain Can Be Fun

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. It has rained heavily in the park but has now stopped. Ruairi is potting plants but Billy is in May's hut playing a game not keen to come out as he doesn't like getting wet. Dara and her friends arrive and they head off to have some fun playing in the puddles with May. Billy doesn't join them and opts to stay inside. Dara consults her friends in the city to see how they deal with the rain. Ruairi gives Billy a rain jacket and wellies and he emerges to see the others. May does her best to help him have fun, she explains that if you wear the right clothes you can have lots of fun and still be dry! Ruairi makes some lovely treats for everyone to share.

Big City Park - Happy Birthday May

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. Dara tells Ruairi and Billy that it is May's birthday but that she is keeping it quiet. They decide not to say anything unless May tells them but Billy accidentally blurts it out. May tells them that she hadn't planned anything as she simply didn't have time. She tells them they can have fun anyway and go exploring in the park. Dara and Billy try to find something special for her birthday.

Big City Park - Making Things Grow

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. Ruairi and May are watering their vegetables. Billy doesn't understand why they don't just go to the shops to buy vegetables, and May explains that it is fun to watch things you planted grow. Billy wants to grow a football tree but May tells him that things only grow from seeds, and Dara and her friends explore with May to see what seeds they can find. May convinces Billy that if he grows vegetables they will make him healthier and able to play football better. He decides he will grow his own stew.

Big City Park - Ruairi's Little Friend

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. May and Billy hear a bloodcurdling scream in the park. They tell Ruairi, but he lets out a scream while they are with him. They realise it was him all along, and it's because he spotted a spider. He's clearly frightened - although he denies he is. Dara and her friends explore with May to see what other little insects they can find. Ruairi makes an excuse not to help and is quite upset when a ladybird lands on his nose. A spider visits the storycircle and Ruairi must confront it to conquer his fear.

Big City Park - Big Windy Park

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. It has been very windy in the park and it is a mess. May tidies up while Ruairi and Billy have fun. Suddenly a gust of wind returns and blows Ruairi's favourite hat off his head and across the park. Dara, Billy, May and the children explore to see if they can find Ruairi's hat. They have fun and May explains what happens when the wind blows, but Billy thinks the wind is bad because it has stolen Ruairi's hat. Dara consults her city friends to see what fun they have in the wind with streamers. May suggests they make streamers, which the group agree is a good idea. They march back to the storycircle to see Ruairi waving their streamers as they go.

Big City Park - Outfoxed by a Fox

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. Ruairi plays a trick on May and tries to pull the same trick on Dara. When Dara arrives with her friends she doesn't fall for Ruairi's trick; she is too clever. Ruairi plans another trick to catch out Dara. May, Billy, Dara and the children explore the park, and Billy finds a giant footprint which he thinks might belong to a bear. May explains there are no bears in Big City Park and suggests they see what other prints they can find. Dara goes to May's hut where she surprises Ruairi doing something with a stick. She suspects him of making the prints to trick her, so she tells the others and they decide to trick Ruairi instead.

Big City Park - A Special Friend Visits

May the friendly park keeper and her friends welcome enthusiastic young explorers to their park for a day of fun. May is busy working in the park when she is surprised by her friend Joe who looked after Big City Park before her. She is delighted to see him, Joe tells her all about his recent trip around the world which sounds really exciting. May can't remember what on earth she has been doing and Joe tells her to have a think and goes off to see Billy, Dara and Ruairi. May then muses on all the fun they have had in Big City Park, all the things they have made, all the tricks that Ruairi and Billy have played and most importantly all the friends that she has made. Finally she goes to the storycircle where Joe has been having tea with the others and they are all delighted to be together.

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