CHILDREN were wowed by some Viking warriors.

The year three youngsters at Beechcroft St Paul’s Primary School donned fur and horned helmets when they had some visitors drop by for a theme day.

Tony Thorpe and Andy Southern, who both specialise in Viking re-enactment, talked to pupils at the Weymouth school about life in the era.

The pair regularly visit schools in the area to bring history to life.

They brought a pile of props with them for the seven and eight-year-olds to examine, including a Viking style tent and cooking utensils. Mr Thorpe said: “We gave them a basic idea of what Viking life was like and showed them general everyday stuff.

“Throughout the day we put them in various scenarios like hunting for food.

“We told them they would have to go hunting because there were no supermarkets then.

“We told them how they would also go and forage for food and showed them how to build a fire.

“We played out little scenes so they would understand life from that period.

“They have been getting very involved.

“They’ve been very willing to listen and learn and very involved with play acting.”

Year three teacher Philip Baskerville said the Viking Day was part of the pupils’ work on the creative curriculum.

He said: “The children were very excited about the day.

“We asked them to look at pictures of Vikings so they could dress up as them.

“They used bits of stuff at home for their costumes and have been very imaginative.

“They arrived at school in the morning banging on the door, keen to get started.

“They’ve been immersing themselves in Viking culture and our visitors have been getting them really animated.”

Mr Baskerville said the pupils will be incorporating the Viking theme into their geography, design and technology, art and religious education work.