Asher and Kester Barkley and their knight collection

Introducing Asher and Kester, aged 8 and 6, from Arthurs Pass, and their collection 

Asher: I always love looking at books and hearing stories about knights and castles. I got the idea of making my own knights and men-at-arms (soldiers) from a book. I wanted to make them because I thought it would be fun and exciting to play with them and set up battles. I really enjoyed working out how we could make them and trying out different ways to make them stand up until we came up with a way that worked well.

Now I have the fun of playing with them. The knights can joust outside the draw bridge. The archers can stand up on the walls to protect the castle. The other fighters use their weapons to help the king and protect the queen. My favourite is the blue knight.

Kester: I enjoyed making the models with my brother, but I more enjoy playing with them. I love the castle and setting up the armies to fight around it. My favourite is the red army.