Factory visits are the most common Neighborhood experience where children can see change. Right before their eyes raw materials change into finished products. There are now almost 100 factory tours broadcast through the year. That's more than one a week. Over the years, Mister Rogers has shown his viewers how people make such things as:

FOODS -- applesauce, graham crackers, orange juice, peanut butter, pretzels, tofu, tortilla chips, and vegetable soup

TOYS -- crayons, dolls, rocking horses, stuffed bears, toy cars, and tricycles

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS -- bass violins, harmonicas, guitars, kazoos, musical steel pans, pianos, and trumpets

EVERYDAY THINGS -- blankets, erasers, flashlights, jeans, money, plates, sneakers, spoons, straws, suitcases, towels, and zippers

If you're interested in finding out when these factory visits are broadcast you can find that information by using our search tool.

Respecting All People and Their Work

Whether Mister Rogers is going on a trip to a factory or watching a video that Mr. McFeely delivered, he generally says, "Let's see how people make..." That's very different from saying, "Let's see how... are made." His emphasis here, as well as on every aspect of the program, is on people.

Often Mister Rogers mentions something about the workers or stops to chat with them about their jobs or about their families. Through those conversations, children can know that adults have pride in their work and that everyone's job is important.

Providing a Context

Educators know that children are better able to learn when the new information is related to other things and not just a disconnected fragment. The factory visits, like all the other elements of the Neighborhood, fit into the central theme of the week. When you encourage children to actively use or play with things they've seen people make on the Neighborhood visits, you'll be giving them a deeper appreciation of the work that people do and a respect for everyday things in their lives.

Connecting Cause and Effect

Preschoolers are still learning about cause and effect. They often think things happen by magic. The factory visits help children see things changing because of people, machines, and the work they do, not by magic.

Understanding the Concept of Process

Children are familiar with a beginning, a middle, and an end in stories, but that sequence (which helps with time concepts and other learning) is harder to see in the real world. Factory visits can help children see that things change in an organized way, in a sequence, beginning with raw materials and ending in finished products.

Developing Persistence

Appreciating work helps children be more patient with their own mistakes and with the changes that may happen slowly when they're making something themselves.

Encouraging Curiosity

Being interested in the world around them, wondering, and asking questions are essential for learning. Even when adults don't have answers, they nourish children's curiosity by just appreciating their questions.

Back to Theme