Sporting high-vis and hard hats as they climbed into the driver’s seat, they looked just like any other digger driver – only much smaller.

A group of more than 20 three- and four-year-old children from Ōwairaka Kindergarten got an early look at what it takes to operate an excavator this month as they took part in Digger Day.



The event was planned in partnership with the Kāinga Ora Construction Plus and Placemaking teams, along with representatives from our civil construction partners at LEAD Alliance.

“It was an opportunity for the little ones to get onto the digger, toot the horn and get a feel for what it’s like to be in the digger seat,” says Nigel Chandra, Construction Plus Manager at Kāinga Ora.

“It helps them to build an early understanding of the workforce and construction industry, and could even plant the seed for a construction industry pathway.”