Teddy Bears and Ice Cream - Are Factory Tours Fun For Kids?

Many factories now offer tours. You’ll learn about the history of the company and product, get a view of their manufacturing process, and usually get the chance to sample the product. At the end of the tour, you’ll most likely land in the factory’s gift shop where you can purchase their products and other gifts such as t-shirts, hats, and toys.

I’ve always enjoyed visiting factories. For me, the manufacturing process is as interesting as the product itself. It’s also fun to see the vast quantities of raw materials used to make the product and to learn a few of the products secret and special ingredients. At the Ben & Jerry’s factory I saw huge vats of milk, special mixers used to fold in the special ingredients, and watched containers of ice cream flip upside down to get date stamped. At the Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory we saw bags of chips filled with gas (nitrogen? I forget…) to make each bag feel full and to keep the chips fresh. At the Vermont Teddy Bear company we saw how bears are stitched together and learned about their special eyes.

So for adults, these factory tours are interesting and can be a lot of fun. If you have older kids that love a product then taking them to the factory can be a really special experience. Just beware that you’ll probably have to buy them something from the gift shop.

But for younger kids (my son is 3.5), factory tours are hit or miss. My son won’t remember anything about the Ben and Jerry’s tour except that he had some ice cream and that he had fun playing in their playground. He showed no real interest in Vermont Teddy Bears but loved playing in the colorful silo just outside the factory’s entrance. So if you’re taking younger children to a factory, you should probably look up and see if they have any special activities for younger kids. That was the case for Ben & Jerry’s and the Vermont Teddy Bear factory which made our stops there worthwhile. But if it’s just a factory tour, you might want to skip it and choose a different attraction.

Comments

[Posted on Jul 29, 2007 12:18:36 PM by JenniferM]

Very well written - and I agree! Factory tours really CAN be hit or miss for children. I also think a lot of that has to do with their moods right before the start of the tour in the first place (not that I'm suggesting children would benefit from that tour of the Guinness factory near Waterford in Ireland). My kids have had a good time at the NY Historical Society - -which was truthfully kinda boring - and been real stinkers at a local touch-tank type of aquarium - very interactive and child friendly - simply because their moods predicated those reactions. What do you think?

[Posted on Aug 10, 2007 2:29:18 AM by travelphilippines]

i wont leave that factory once i get there.