Touring an Amazon Warehouse: A Free Homeschool Field Trip in Orlando, Florida

Have you ever placed an Amazon order and wondered what happened between “Buy Now” and seeing that familiar box sitting on your front step?

We definitely have! And, we recently got to see the process for ourselves!

We took a free tour of the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Orlando, Florida, and it turned out to be a super interesting homeschool field trip. When I was telling my husband about our field trip later that night, I actually described it as being inside an episode of “How It’s Made.” Cool, right?!

If your kids enjoy seeing how things work behind the scenes, this is definitely an adventure to add to your field trip list!

Even better? You don’t have to live in Florida to do it! Amazon offers free tours at fulfillment centers in various locations throughout the United States – we just happen to live in Central Florida and the Orlando location was the best option for us to visit.

How is a visit to an Amazon Warehouse educational? Are there any age requirements for attendees? How do you schedule your own tour of an Amazon Fulfillment Center?

Let’s chat – I’ll give you all the deets!

What is an Amazon Fulfillment Center Tour?

Remember when we went on the free tour of the Kia Manufacturing Plant in Georgia a while back? Well, the Amazon tour was somewhat similar because the free tour took visitors behind the scenes of the fulfillment center.

We visited the Orlando, Florida fulfillment center, which is a robotics sortable facility. That means people work alongside robotic technology to store, find, pack, and move products through the fulfillment process.

Neat right? Did you know that there are some Amazon fulfillment centers that only process larger items like furniture or big TVs while others “only” process smaller items? Let me tell you, we learned SO MUCH on this tour.

During the tour, we were able to see what happens to products as they move through the warehouse and eventually make their way toward customers.

It’s one thing to tell your kids that a huge system of people, computers, machines, transportation, and logistics make the two-day shipping possible (although mine seem to be taking longer than 2 days? hmmm). It’s another thing entirely to stand inside the building and actually watch the system working. That’s exactly why my kids and I love field trips like this!

Why Visit an Amazon Warehouse as a Homeschool Field Trip?

There are many learning styles, but my kids (and I!) seem to learn best through hands-on experiences…which is exactly the experience an Amazon warehouse tour provides! An Amazon fulfillment center might not immediately scream “educational field trip,” but there is actually a LOT of learning happening inside that building!

STEM

The robotics and technology inside the warehouse are absolutely amazing to see in person. Everything is intricately programmed so that processes run smoothly day in and day out.

During one of the stops in the warehouse tour, we got to observe tower-like robots that served as a temporary storage for incoming and outgoing products sold on Amazon. The robots “spoke” to each other through code so they could safely & efficiently travel to and from workstations where employees would pick items that had been ordered. Watching the robots move on the warehouse floor was like watching a robot waltz. It was mesmerizing!

Throughout the tour, kids can see examples of engineering, automation, computer systems, machinery, and problem-solving being used in an actual workplace…and not just in a textbook.

You really have to see it to believe it!

Business and Economics

My boys, my youngest especially, has been business minded for as long as I can remember. He’s always been coming up with new business ideas and somehow, at the age of 12, is equally excited to both get a job and retire. While he (likely) has quite some time before retirement, I’m all for showing both my boys all the different business opportunities that currently exist.

This tour was a fantastic opportunity to show my boys about how businesses truly operate. It’s one thing to read business books and interpret charts, it’s another to actually get to experience it!

Think about everything that has to happen for one simple order to arrive at your house:

• inventory has to be stored
• an order has to be received
• the correct product has to be located
• that product has to be packed, labeled, and shipped to the customer

Seeing the scale of the process makes concepts like supply chains and logistics so much easier to understand. I’m telling you – my boys and I were in awe during every single stop of the Amazon warehouse tour.

Career Exploration

I love when field trips naturally introduce kids to careers they might now have considered before!

A fulfillment center requires people with all sorts of skills. Beyond the jobs you might immediately associate with a warehouse, there are careers connected to technology, operations, management, safety, maintenance, transportation, engineering, and more! Even our warehouse tour guides had trained specifically for their positions!

You never know what might spark a kid’s interest, so keep on taking advantage of all the unique educational opportunities field trips allow.

Real-World Problem Solving

Perhaps one of my favorite educational takeaways was seeing how many problems have to be solved to make something we take for granted work so efficiently. Think about it:

• How do you organize millions of products?
• How do you find the right item quickly?
• How do you move thousands of orders through one building?
• How do people and robots work together safely?
• How do you keep employees on-task and having fun? (Spoiler alert – certain warehouse employees are able to play video games throughout the day!)

Before you go on your Amazon warehouse tour, ask your kids those questions – they’ll all be answered during your visit. I’m betting many of the answers will surprise you & the kids!

What Should You Know Before Your Amazon Tour?

Like any field trip, there are a few important things you should know before scheduling your Amazon field trip:

• Amazon’s Orlando tours are approximately 60 minutes. You may walk about a mile, around warehouse floors, & up and down stairs (an elevator was often, but not always available) during the experience. Guests should also plan to arrive about 15 minutes early.
• Children must currently be at least 6 years old, and minors need to be accompanied by an adult.
• Closed-toe, closed heel, flat shoes are required. Comfortable sneakers would be best!
• Cell phones, keys, wallets, and transparent water bottles are allowed to be brought onto the tour, but food and storage bags (including purses) are not allowed. When we went on the tour, I wore a pair of leggings that had pockets so I could easily store my belongings.
• Photos and videos are NOT allowed. In fact, your phones must stay in your pocket at all times. If you were wondering why this article doesn’t have a ton of photos from our tour…this is why!

How Much Does an Amazon Warehouse Tour Cost?

Here’s the homeschool-parent-friendly part: it’s FREE!

Amazon’s public fulfillment center tours are offered totally free of charge. Tours are available at select fulfillment centers throughout the United States and Canada, so this isn’t an experience that’s limited to families visiting Central Florida.

You do, however, need to register ahead of time as walk-ins are not accepted. Tour availability is limited, and Amazon says new dates are generally released around the middle of the month for the upcoming month or so.

If you’re planning on visiting with a larger group of, say your co-op friends, you may want to look into a private tour. At the Orlando location, private group tours are currently available for groups of 10-15 people and are subject to availability.

If, for whatever reason, you’re not able to score an in-person Amazon warehouse tour that fits into your schedule, they also offer on-demand virtual tours!

Add This One to Your Homeschool Field Trip List!

If you’re looking for an unusual, memorable homeschool field trip – especially one that combines STEM, technology, business, economics, career exploration, and real-world learning – an Amazon fulfillment center tour is absolutely worth checking out.

We visited the Orlando fulfillment center, but Amazon offers tours throughout the United States and Canada, so check to see whether there’s one near you or near somewhere you’ll be traveling. Maybe plan one while traveling to a homeschool convention? Or maybe before going on a cruise with the kids?

And, did I mention it’s free?

Let me know – when will you be taking a tour of an Amazon warehouse with the kids? What are you (and they) looking forward to most about your tour?

Have the best time!

Until next time, stay safe, & enjoy quality time with your family,