Knights to the Rescue!

Game: Save the Fair Maiden (from the Dragon) Relay
Need: two yard sticks, two balloons, two dolls, two chairs, one stuffed dragon puppet
Set up: Put the dolls on the chairs at one end of the room.  Put the dragon between them on the floor.

1. Separate kids into two teams.
2. On their turn, each child must keep their balloon off the ground with their sword (yard stick) while running to the rescue of the fair maiden and then carry her (and the balloon and sword) back.
3. Programmers or Volunteers quickly return the fair maidens back to the other end of the room while the next player begins their turn.

Game: Slay the Dragon

Need: 10 unopened bottles of water covered with images of dragons printed on 8 1/2 x 11 paper

1. Kids try to knock down the dragons with bean bags.

Game: Storm the Castle Catapult Game

http://www.sturdyforcommonthings.com/2013/02/adventures-as-annie-the-knight-at-dawn/

Pre-make catapults ahead of time using these instructions: http://doitandhow.com/2011/10/01/craft-stick-catapult/.  Instead of using a bottle cap, we attached a plastic spoon using another rubber band.

http://doitandhow.com/2011/10/01/craft-stick-catapult/

1. Using the catapults, kids fired rocks (mini-marshmallows) at a cardboard castle.

Craft: Decorate a shield/coat of arms

We pre-cut shields out of 11 x 17 card stock.  From http://www.hearaldry.ca/kids_en/heraldry_make_shield.htm we printed off various  shield devices, which we then enlarged and reduced to allow for a variety of sizes.  We talked a little about the meaning of the colors used and of the devices.  Kids could choose whatever devices they wanted to add to their shield.

Evaluation: 

This program went well.  The kids enjoyed making the shields and we some very detailed ones as well as some very simple shields.  The catapults were a huge hit even though they did not work as well as expected.  We had to prop them up on some books to make the marshmallows fly far enough to even reach the castles.  Both Save the Fair Maiden and Slay the Dragon games were popular.  It was a good mix of activities and craft.