Necessity is the mother of invention: children on the Cape Verde islands make their own toys from anything they can lay their hands on. At the EXPO, younger visitors can view these "pieces of art" and exchange them for their own Lego figures or Playmobil cars. "In this way, children on Cape Verde will get foreign toys that they would never have been able to afford otherwise," is how General Commissioner Teresa Texeira B. Amado explains this unusual campaign. For their part, the young EXPO visitors learn that everyday items can be used as toys - at no cost.

In addition to the toys, Cape Verde has also brought along a piece of the ocean: fishing nets and "bungee lobsters" decorate the ceiling of the lime house where the exhibition is staged. A small marine museum shows the fascinating underwater world off the coast of Cape Verde. Visitors are submerged in a blue light, they hear the sound of the ocean and see archaeological finds from the seabed. From the comfort of a deckchair, they can listen to music from the islands and dream of a holiday on the beaches of Cape Verde.