Toy soldiers have historically served as instruments for tabletop war gaming and military planning since antiquity. Site interpreter Seth Goff will deliver a living-history program examining the production methods, materials, and historical applications of toy soldiers in tabletop games. The program will take place on Friday, December 18, and Saturday, December 19, from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m., and is included with admission.

The principal historical manual referenced for war games in this program is H.G. Wells’s influential work, Little Wars: A Game for Boys from Twelve Years of Age to One Hundred and Fifty and for That More Intelligent Sort of Girl Who Likes Boys’ Games and Books (1913).

Participants are required to check in at the Palisade admissions office, located across the parade square from the entrance gate. The program takes place outside climate-controlled areas, so please prepare for cold weather in December and dress accordingly.