Once, all chewing gum was made from chicle. That's the sap of the Sapodilla tree, which grows in rainforests in Central America. Men called chicleros climbed up the tall trees, and with their machetes, cut criss-crosses in the trunks so that the sticky sap flowed out. Then the chicle was processed and turned into gum.

Today, most chewing gum is made from synthetic stuff, but the gum base inside this kit includes real chicle. So now, chicleros have a reason to harvest the chicle and protect their trees. Don't just chew gum, chew chicle!

Ages 8 and up