CHINESE New Year 2017 celebrates the Rooster, the 10th animal in the zodiac, and children at Barn Kids in Chiddingfold had great fun crowing about it last Monday.

The nursery, forest school and holiday club, based on a farm, traditionally pulls out all the stops to mark the start of the Spring Festival and toddlers were able to wear Chinese hats and traditional robes, as well as create a giant rooster from tissue paper and feathers.

They also made their own roosters and paper lanterns, tasted Chinese tea and even tackled chopsticks.

“Their favourite activity was colouring a Chinese dragon and tracing Chinese writing,” pre-school leader Josie Hammond said. “We are reading about celebrations around the world and different customs, and talking about feasts and cleansing homes to start the New Year with good luck.”