He said the children will "come through one at a time and put their vests on" before getting behind the controls. There will be no rampaging through the show though - parts of the digger will be disabled to prevent any mishaps.
Clements said working with the children on the digger will also be one of the tasks for the contestants in the regional competition.
He said the mini digger is really popular with children. "They do love it."
Clements knows just how easily one of the children could be a future operator in training - his company, Clements Contractors, has employed a man who started out having a turn on a digger at the Whangārei A & P Show several years ago.
An excavator simulator, which is used for training, will also be available for the public to have a turn on at the show.
The regional excavator competition is one of 10 being held around the country - the regional winners will battle it out at Central Districts Field Days in Feilding next March.
Twelve competitors from across the region, including the first female Northland competitor, will take part in the Whangārei event. Competitors will be asked to use their excavators to undertake a range of tricky tasks including pouring tea, moving an uncooked egg, painting, weightlifting and slam dunking a basketball.
Clements said the competitors will be using four different excavators, ranging from five tonne to 13 tonne.
"These tasks demonstrate what excavator operators can achieve in their day-to-day work and how specific their tasks can be as they navigate drain pipes, gas pipes and electricity cables."
He said contests will also be judged on the health and safety precautions contestants take and their planning and foresight.
