After hitting the ground running in 1998, Australian-born children's musical group Hi-5 haven't lost any of their momentum yet.

The five-member group never cease to impress possibly the toughest critics of all and capture an entire crowd of teeny, tiny attention spans.

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Peter Meecham/Fairfax NZ

Ainsley Melham and Dayen Zheng from Australian children entertainment group Hi5, pictured with some Auckland youngsters while in town promoting their new show.

"I'm really excited to bring this show to New Zealand, last time Hi-5 toured here was back in 2009, with the original cast, so it's been a long time and we've been asking and asking to come here, so we're super stoked to be here," says Dayen Zheng, one fifth of the children's entertainment juggernaut and dancer by trade.

Ainsley Melham and Dayen Zheng shared their passion for dance, drama and children on Tuesday afternoon, performing for a select group of lucky Kiwi kids, before heading back to Sydney.

Despite the age-old adage that in showbusiness, you should never work with animals or children, the duo share a mutual love for entertaining the younger masses.

"We hear that all the time. I think there are learning curbs, sometimes we might go to a country where English is not their main language and we bring a show that's heavily speech-based and it just doesn't work," says Zheng. "So next time we bring it, we bring more songs, more interactive things, more comedy and physical activity, we're constantly learning.

"I think the biggest challenge with Hi-5, is definitely not the children, I think it's all the travelling that we do," says Zheng. "We tour for nine months of the year, but in saying that, it's not really a challenge at the end of the day, we get to see the world. And do what we love."

Hi-5's most recent show, House of Dreams, will invite Kiwi kids to come along and join the fun in a huge pyjama party themed show. "Hi-5 House of Dreams show is narrative based, previously we've toured concerts, I guess you could call them, lots of songs and lots of dancing," says group member Ainsley Melham.

"This time, we thought we'd bring a story for the kids to really join in, an adventure, for the kids to be really interactive with. Hi-5 House of Dreams is essentially a big sleepover party, the kids can come dressed in their pyjamas, bring their teddybears, the premise is that each of us go on dream adventures, and the don't quite turn out quite how we expected. So there are some surprises and some twists, and it's really exciting to see the kids' faces when they do go on that journey with us."

With legions of little fans around the world, this Hi-5 duo don't show any signs of bowing out just yet. "I'd love to be on stage at some point, in a different capacity," says Melham. "Whether that be theatre or musical theatre, that's part of my training as well. I'd love to execute those skills in the future but I think at the moment it's just so fun to be a part of this."

For eager parents and enthusiastic kids looking to join the party, it's safe to say the excitement is mutual. "We just met some kids then and oh my gosh, they're so much fun, aren't they?" says Zheng. "They're great, they're so responsive. We can't wait to see what the audiences will be like in January."

Hi-5: House of Dreams Tour will be performing in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch from January 23-31. For ticketing and show information, see TicketMaster.

 - Stuff