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FRIDAY

Recess may be an opportune time for a history lesson. This morning, the Carlyle House shows kids how George Washington and Thomas Jefferson entertained their youngsters. Not plastic, programmable, or available at a superstore, most of their amusements were wooden, and many were improvised from common household objects. Colonial Games Day includes hands-on demonstrations of Nine-Man Morris, which predates the colonies, resembles checkers and tick-tack-toe, and uses a stone board; Fox and Geese, which turns Chinese Checkers into a barnyard chase; and various games played with simple hoops and dowels. For visitors shorter than the hoops, eternal favorites like bubbles, blocks, puzzles, and spinning tops will be provided. The house, Alexandria’s only example of Georgian stone architecture and the site of General Edward Braddock’s strategy sessions for the French and Indian War, will also be open. The games begin at 10 a.m. at Carlyle House Historic Park, 121 N. Fairfax St., Alexandria. $1. (703) 549-2997. (Karen Mitchell)