Invaders of England England

Equipment

• A soft ball

Instructions

1. The players stand in a big circle facing inwards. The leader goes around the circle naming groups of 3 people in order: Viking, Roman and Norman.
2. Put a soft ball or something similar in the middle of the circle.
3. The leader then calls out a sentence involving one of the Invaders of England. The invaders named all have to run around the outside of the circle in a clockwise direction.
4. When they get back their starting place, they enter the circle according to the type of invader (below) and try to be the first to claim the prize in the centre.
   • Vikings: while the Viking is running, the other two form a Viking longboat by sitting on the floor opposite each other with crossed legs so their knees touch, and leaning back to make a boat shape. The Viking steps or jumps over the boat (take care not to kick anyone's arms or legs).
   • Normans: while the Norman is running, the other two hold hands to form a rounded Norman arch with their arms held high. The Norman must run under it when she gets back.
   • Romans: while the Roman is running, the other two curl up on the floor in line to make a Roman Viaduct. The Roman must cross the viaduct by walking over it with her legs straddling it.
5. When everyone has finished, replace the ball in the centre and shout another sentence.

Here are some examples of sentences to call out, but you can make up your own too:

• The Romans are speaking Latin
• The Romans are building Hadrian's wall
• The Romans are marching in neat rows
• The Romans are building straight roads
• The Vikings are invading the Yorkshire coastline
• The Vikings are wearing helmets with horns on to make them look scary
• The Vikings are burning towns and villages
• The Vikings are attacking in the night
• The Normans are fighting the Battle of Hastings
• The Normans are speaking French
• The Normans are shooting arrows
• The Normans are building Churches and Cathedrals

You could also try asking questions after a few turns, so the girls have to work out for themselves who should run. For example, you could call out "Whose ruler was called Caesar?" and the Romans should run. Ideas to try include the typical clothing of the invaders, the countries they came from, the century they invaded in, the languages they spoke, the places they attacked and the legacies they have left us. The girls can take it in turns to be the leader and call out the questions. To liven up the game you can put a few sweets in the centre of the circle on each turn and the first few to reach it will get one each.