Heptarchy

Okay, kiddo! Imagine you have 7 toys - a ball, a doll, a truck, a puzzle, a stuffed animal, a board game, and a coloring book. Now, imagine that each toy has its own special place and only one person can play with each toy at a time. This is kind of like what happened in England a long, long time ago.

Back then, England was split into 7 kingdoms, kinda like how you have 7 toys. These kingdoms were called Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex, and Wessex. Each kingdom had its own king or queen and their own way of doing things- just like how you might like to play with your toys differently from your friends.

But sometimes, the rulers of these kingdoms would have battles with each other, just like how you might fight over a toy with a friend. Eventually, one king, named Alfred the Great, managed to defeat the other kingdoms and become the ruler of all of England. Kind of like how sometimes, mom or dad might step in and tell you and your friends to share the toys nicely so that everyone can play together.

So, that's what heptarchy means - a time when England was split into 7 smaller kingdoms before they were all united under one ruler. Was that helpful, little one?