Busy Bodies Childcare entered its scarecrow "Honeybee" into the new scarecrow category of the home industries competition at the show, which was held at Donovan Park in Invercargill on Saturday, and it won first place.
Busy Bodies educator Alisa Cole said they picked something with bees because they were learning about them at the moment.
"The kids helped me put it together."
The scarecrow design competition was a new addition to the show and complemented the general theme of preserving traditions for future generations.
The few thousand Southland families who visited the show seemed keen to take up the traditions, with pony rides and the "big dig" popular.
Southland A&P Association chief executive Gillian Brock said the show would continue upholding traditional elements while adapting to the community’s needs.
Two Invercargill siblings continued their farming family’s own tradition, by coming first and second in the lamb class section.
Thomas Flannery, 7, said he had been to the Winton show before but this was his first time with Blackie, his South Suffolk sheep, at the Southland show.
"I liked getting first place."
His sister Annabel, 5, came second with her Texel lamb Lola.
Ms Brock said the pet section always had strong participation.
Queues of tamariki waited patiently for a pony ride or their chance to feed the ponies before the rain pelted down at the end of the day.
"The weather played its part for the important aspects of the show and there was a lot of good gate turnout, and overall we were thrilled with the day," Ms Brock said.
