The Coffee Cluster for kids

Activities and science workshops to learn about coffee.

Milan, 1 May 2015 – When was coffee discovered? Where does it come from? How do you prepare a moka? These and other questions about the world of coffee will find an answer during the science workshops open to families and children at the Coffee Cluster, organised by illycaffè as the Official Coffee Partner of Expo Milano 2015.
In association with the Science Centre Immaginario Scientifico, illy just unveiled an exciting calendar of events, games and interactive lessons designed for kids visiting the Cluster. 
During the workshops, all free of charge and available in Italian and English, children will learn – in theory and in practice -about the origins of coffee and all its properties.

Upcoming kids events at the Coffee Cluster

The physics of coffee

  • Scientific workshop, open to families with children, where experiments will be used to demonstrate how a moka works. Pressure, temperature, atmospheric pressure and percolation will be among the phenomena to be presented. Simple apparatus will be used to explain the various steps needed to prepare a good coffee. In particular:
    • description of moka
    • atmospheric pressure experiments
    • experiment on volume variation vs pressure variation
    • experiment on pressure variation vs temperature variation
    • granulometry and filtration
    • final coffee preparation
  • When: Tuesday 26 May, Thursday 28 May at 15:00, 16:00, 17:00 and Wednesday 27 May at 11:00, 12:00, 13:00


Discovering the coffee routes

  • Historical-themed workshop designed for families with children. The event is interactive and is intended to help visitors to discover the countries where coffee is produced, the main plant varieties and the important trade routes through which coffee spread to western countries during the period between the 17th and 19th centuries A.D. During the workshop, children and parents will interact with a magnetic panel of the planisphere, on which, with the help of the event staff, they will retrace the coffee trade routes and discover the main coffee producing countries. The workshop will also be used to share some ancient legends with the participants.
  • When: Tuesday 23 and Thursday 25 June at 11:00, 12:00, 13:00 and Wednesday 24 June at 15:00, 16:00, 17:00


Beans in shape

  • Scientific workshop, open to families with children, where they will learn about some of the properties of coffee beans through a series of experiments on the typical behaviour of granular materials. Dissipation of energy, the forces exerted by granules, fluidity and roasting are the phenomena that will be discussed. Simple apparatus will be used to test how granular materials differ from liquids and solids. In particular:
    • the energy of the granules
    • the strength of the granules
    • density and fluidity of granular materials
  • When: Tuesday 23 and Thursday 25 June at 15:00, 16:00, 17:00 and Wednesday 24 June at 11:00, 12:00 and 13:00