Premier Steven Miles wasn’t afraid to get his hands, eyes or feet dirty as he geared up for a final attack on the opposition leader before the election.

No ask by dozens of tiny Queenslanders at a Mackay kindergarten was off limits for the premier where the incumbent again ignored advice to never play with kids.

Mr Miles whipped off his shoes and socks to climb into the sandpit to help dig holes but the premier may have gotten more than he bargained for.

“Are you putting sand down my pants?” the premier asked a sheepish four-year-old standing behind him.

“He’s not, he’s covering your foot,” a boisterous child rebutted.

“He’s covering my foot with just a little bit of overflow going down my pants,” Mr Miles jokingly responded.

The shoeless premier was then crowded with a dozen children for a photo opportunity but Mr Miles again faced more than he signed up for as he was tickled, poked and prodded by the many tiny sandy hands.

“Ah, okay, hurting, no sandy fingers in my eyes,” Mr Miles cried.

Mr Miles – eager to please – climbed to the top of a tiny playground and slid down the slide, landing with a thud.

The kids oblivious to the premier’s post relished in his reading of The Very Hungry Caterpillar while cuddled up on his lap before the inevitable game of doctor began.

The premier took the opportunity to allude to his bulk billing clinic commitment by asking, “Is this a bulk-billing clinic?”

But the children were not yet trained with a gentle bedside manner when one jabbed the premier in the chest with a toy needle.

Mr Miles fronted a press conference at a Mackay medical centre with plenty of sand still in his shoes but beamed from ear to ear after his play date at the kindergarten.

“There’s sand everywhere,” he told reporters.

The premier wasn’t only happy to get his hands dirty in the sandpit but was ready for a battle with Opposition Leader David Crisafulli at Suncorp Stadium in the third and final debate on Tuesday night before the election on Saturday.

“I like to answer questions,” he said.

“That’s one of the main differences between me and David Crisafulli, this whole campaign he’s not answered any questions.”

Mr Miles was looking forward to the debate’s format with undecided voters sending in their questions for the pair to be quizzed on.

Mr Crisafulli instead tried his hand at making coffees for locals in Hervey Bay.

He also was looking forward to the debate as a chance to talk more about the LNP’s plans on youth crime, health, housing and cost of living.

“It’s our chance to put forward our positive plan for Queensland’s future, and I have a suspicion that the premier will spend a lot of time throwing mud, spinning lies, talking about me,” he told reporters in Brisbane.

“This state needs a fresh start, and that’s what we’ll be doing.”

The incumbent premier has shown a comeback in most recent polls, narrowing a major margin on the primary vote to 32 per cent compared to the LNP’s 40 per cent, according to Resolve Stragic polling for the Brisbane Times.

Mr Miles has also had a spike in popularity as preferred premier to be almost level with Mr Crisafulli at 39 per cent to 37.

The debate will be televised from 7.30pm (AEDT).

This post was originally published on Michael West.