Preschoolers delight as they take stage in hit production

First Years Preschool's kapa haka group entertains a huge crowd in the Dannevirke High School Hall. Photo / Christine McKay

One little girl summed up First Years Preschool's annual production last Saturday by saying, "We've been practising very hard".

And Julie Sargent, a First Years teacher, agreed.

"It takes a lot to get 80 kids on stage, but it's amazing what they can do," she said.

"I don't know any other preschool in New Zealand which does a major production like this."

With such a major production, involving all children from under 2 up to age 4, who will head to school next year, anything could happen at any time during the show, First Years manager Lisa Bond warned.

"We've been practising for weeks and everyone is very excited," she said.

From the national anthem, to a hip hop performance, Thunder, which Sargent admitted staff had heard 1200 times during rehearsals, with the Teddy Bear's picnic, ballet, swashbuckling pirates and two renditions of a favourite mat song, Baby Shark, the children captivated the huge audience which packed the Dannevirke High School Hall for the production.

First Years Preschool opened 52 years ago and is still expanding, having purchased 9 Allardice St, demolishing the derelict house on the site.

"We're in the process of drawing up plans for an extension to relieve our huge waiting list," Bond said.