How do you like to go up in a swing, up in the air so blue? A poem for the park

Poems can be the perfect way to capture a feeling, and we love how this one makes us smile with the reminder of that rush of joy that a swing brings. Short enough for you to share with your toddler, enjoy this rhyme before your next trip to the park. 

This sweet rhyme from Scottish poet Robert Louis Stevenson may have been written over 200 years ago, but it proves the feeling of freedom that comes with swinging back and forth is timeless.  

The Swing by Robert Louis Stevenson 

How do you like to go up in a swing, 
Up in the air so blue? 
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing 
Ever a child can do! 

Up in the air and over the wall, 
Till I can see so wide, 
Rivers and trees and cattle and all 
Over the countryside— 

Till I look down on the garden green, 
Down on the roof so brown— 
Up in the air I go flying again, 
Up in the air and down! 

There are so many ways you can bring poems into your day, and you’ll naturally find which way (if any) is best for you.  

You can tell your toddler the whole rhyme, reading from your phone, and talk about what it made you think or feel.  

Let your toddler explore the words by repeating them, acting them out or telling you what they thought about while you read out the poem.  

When you get to your swing set of choice, reciting just the first few lines as you push your toddler on the swing might bring a new understanding of the language for your toddler.  

Poems, just like stories, are a fantastic opportunity for your toddler to hear the sounds and rhythms of language.  

They can also provide you with a much-needed break from reading the same few picture books over and over!  

Weaving a bit of poetry into your toddler’s day can feel like an intimidating, literary task, but in reality, poems are often short, and the rhyme makes it easy to remember just a few lines. This makes them ideal for you and your toddler to learn together.