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A tour of a chocolate factory. 🙂 mmmmm…yum!

Chocolate bunnies are everywhere at this time of year. Did you ever wonder how they are made? At this website you can take a free virtual factory tour of America’s largest producer of chocolate bunnies. Through illustrations and text you’ll discover how the chocolate is made and molded into rabbit shapes that are packaged for placement in Easter baskets to delight children of all ages. Once you’ve taken the tour, you’ll find some interactive games and puzzles on this site that your children may find entertaining.

How peeps are born, factory tour. I don’t much like ’em, but many do. 🙂

Marshmallow Peeps are everywhere this time of year. Ever wonder how they’re made? At this website you can take a virtual tour through text and photographs of how this traditional Easter-basket candy confection is manufactured. (Not only that, you can also find out how Hot Tamales, Mike & Ike, and Zours are made.)

Mount Everest. From the museum for mount everest.

This website (a presentation of The Tech Museum in San Jose, CA) offers two ways to take an interactive tour of Mount Everest, the most famous, notorious, and highest mountain peak in the world. When you get to the site you can choose a Shockwave tour complete with sound and special effects (you can download shockwave for free at the site), or take an HTML tour (no audio, interactivity).

An Avocado Farm

This avocado grower’s website offers a free virtual tour, “The Avocado: From Seedling to Supermarket” that explains how avocados are grown, harvested, and prepared for consumer consumption. When you get to the site, the video will launch with an introduction. Then, you can select a stage in the avocado production process, and watch a video depicting it. The stages include:

• Growing Stage (7 min video)
• Harvesting Stage (2 min video)
• Packing Stage (3 min video)
• Ripening Stage (2 min video)
• Shipping Stage (1 min video)

When you’re through watching the videos, use the menu (and drop-down lists) at the top of the screen to:

• Explore the history of avocados
• Grow your own avocado tree
• Discover the varieties of avocados
• Learn some “Fun Facts” about avocados

Under the “Kids” tab on the menu, you’ll find:

• Fun, interactive, avocado-themed games
• 4 printable science and social studies activities (designed for classroom teachers, but suitable for home education as well)
• Recipes for parents to try with their kids at home

There’s an amazing amount of content on this site about nutrition and the avocado agriculture industry as well.

Wilson Football factory.

When you get to the site, you’ll see a brief introduction and a video screen. Click on it to watch a video of proud factory workers constructing NFL Game Balls by hand from genuine leather hides. You’ll witness the process that includes:

• Cutting the cow hide
• Stamping the hide with Wilson insignia
• Turning the balls
• Lockstiching the panels
• Straightening and tightening the laces

This football manufacturing process has been a proud tradition since 1941.

Necco Candy factory tour

At the Necco Candy website you can take a free virtual tour (through photographs and text) to see how “Sweethearts” are manufactured. Not only that, you can take a tour to see how Necco Wafers and Haviland Thin Mints are made as well! When you get to the site, you’ll see a menu of all three tours. Click on the tour of interest and a new screen opens where you can follow the virtual tour. Once you’ve take the tours, click on “Fun and Learning” on the menu to access research for school projects and reports, games, quizzes, and recipes.

Pistachio Farm

At this website you can take a free virtual tour (through photographs
and text) of the Eagle Ranch Pistachio Farm in New Mexico, to see how
pistachio nuts are grown, harvested and processed for comsumption. As you’ll learn at the website, in the Chinese language the name for
pistachios means “happy nut.” The Eagle Ranch mascot is a happy nut
named “Peppy” – just click on the image of “Peppy” at the bottom of
each page to follow the tour. When you get to the site you’ll see
photographs of the pistachio tree grove. Again, just click on Peppy to continue the tour that includes:

• Processing Plant
• Salting & Roasting Plant
• Packaging Department
• Shipping Department

The Pistachio Virtual Tour is mixed together with a quick snapshot of
the Eagle Ranch vineyard and some of the stores and attractions at the
location. Use the menu to learn more about pistachio nuts including
their history and nutritional value.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 15th is the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., who was born in 1929. King was an African-American minister who led massive, peaceful demonstrations leading to the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. He believed in equality for people of all races, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his peaceful efforts to bring an end to racial discrimination in the United States. At this National Park Service website, you can take a free virtual tour of King’s birth place. When you get to the site you’ll see a floor plan of the home. Directly below it you can click on a button to hear an audio narration. Then, simply click on any section of the floor plan to see the interior of the home, read the accompanying text, and listen to the presentation.

Spangler Candy Cane Factory

The Spangler Candy Company has been manufacturing candy canes since 1954. They make over 2 million candy canes a day! At this site you can take a virtual tour of their candy cane factory. They explain the process of mass production of candy canes through text and photographs

Vermont Teddy Bear: Online Factory Tour

The Vermont Teddy Bear Company specializes in creating teddy bears that are themed around special occasions, holidays, and topics such as “careers”. They even customize teddy bears for their customers. At their website you can take a very brief online factory tour to see how teddy bears are made. When you get to the site simply click on the arrows to see the photos and read the text that explains: *Design
*Stuffing
*Assembly
*Sewing
*Teddy Bear Hospital When you’re through with the tour, your kids will enjoy seeing all of the different types of teddy bears. Just click on the menu at the top of the screen to see the amazing variety of bears in the Vermont Teddy Bear collection

National Geographic: Remembering Pearl Harbor

This is a remarkable, multi-media presentation by National Geographic. When you get to the site (turn on your speakers to hear the narration), you’ll see a map. Click on it to access an account of the attack on Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii, using real photos, footage, and first-hand accounts. It’s like a field trip back in time to December 7, 1941 that President Franklin D. Roosevelt said is, “a date which will live in infamy.” This is a remarkable presentation that will provoke thought and discussion about U.S. and World history.