CHILDREN at Meavy and Yelverton Pre-school celebrated Chinese New Year last week with 'Hullabaloo Music'.

They sang songs with chopsticks, played parachute games with snakes and dressed up in Chinese costumes as a dragon and a lion. More sessions with Hullabaloo have been planned for the future.

The pre-school is enjoying its Awards for All lottery grant with several workshops and trips, and its FACE grant (farming and community environment) has enabled a visit by Dartmoor Zoological Park to Meavy Parish Hall, where the youngsters were joined by Meavy School reception class. They encountered bearded dragons, snakes, cockroaches, giant snails and had an educational talk from the zoo staff.

The pre-school, which opens on Tuesdays and Thursdays, has many more outings and workshops planned, including to the Eden Project, Forest School, an African drummer visitor, Lambing Live and farm trips.

The pre-school has been running for 40 years this year and will be celebrating its anniversary with a barbecue, inviting past, present and new children and parents. The date is yet to be confirmed.

The pre-school takes children from two years old up to five, and meets at Meavy Parish Hall. Children move onto schools, including Buckland Monachorum, Meavy and Shaugh Prior. For more information contact 01822 855844 or visit the website http://www.meavyandyelvertonpreschoolbtik.com">www.meavyandyelvertonpreschoolbtik.com