Baked Brick Stock Image

THE BRICKYARD MAY BE the most kid-friendly site in Colonial Williamsburg's Historic Area. At first glance, it looks rough and utilitarian and an unlikely attraction for youngsters. Big stacks of bricks and firewood rise beside piles of bats, as broken bricks are called. There are mounds of oyster shells ready to be burned to make lime for mortar. Rows of sodden earthen blocks soldier across the barren drying yard. But children love the brickyard. They like laying out wet bricks and they like watching the kiln. Most of all, they like the huge mud hole—the treading pit. There, young guests, and older guests, too, take off their shoes, step into the slippery, gooey mire, and mix clay and water with their feet, preparing the raw material of bricks. The pit is a great place to get dirty, squeal with friends, and get a foots-on feel for history.