Time to Brush With Alligator Alex

Hello there! Today I will be showing you how to make Alligator Alex! A kid-friendly felt toothbrush timer that encourages young children to adopt healthy brushing habits. Once you press the button, a two minute music timer will begin. The child will then brush their teeth until the timer goes off! Alligator Alex will even attach to your mirror! Let’s jump right in!

• Circuit Playground Express
• 9X12 inch piece of felt for the backing (I used a light tan color)
• 9X12 inch piece of green felt for the alligator (any shade of green you’d like!)
• 9X12 inch piece of white felt for the teeth and battery pouch
• 9X12 inch piece of turquoise felt for the lettering
• 1X1 inch of black felt for the nose
• Two 12 mm googly eyes
• Conductive material (you’ll need about the size of a quarter)
• 1/16 of an inch conductive wire (At least 12 inches in length)
• Green thread
• Needle
• Glue gun
• 2 glue sticks
• Super glue
• 2 suction cups
• Sharpie Marker
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Paper (optional)

Disclaimer: This project uses hot glue! Please have a parent or guardian assist you if needed. Make sure to be careful when using hot glue to prevent burning your fingers and hands.

I borrowed some coding from this website Code Music with MakeCode for Circuit Playground Express | Spy Theme Playback Device | Adafruit Learning System To make the code my own, I coded the music to be synced with a two minute timer and green lights! Once the two minute timer is up the code will automatically stop the timer! Make sure to double check your coding before you begin.

I also used this Felt Alligator Quiet Book Idea for inspiration!

To start you will want to lay out your felt backing flat and then fold it in half horizontally.

You will want your alligator to be 7 ½ long by 3 ½ tall. This is to make sure that you’ll have room for your button! I just took a pair of scissors and cut mine without a template. You can create your own template by drawing the body shape out with pencil and paper!

Next you will cut a hole in the left side of the alligator. This will allow the Circuit Playground to show through! I used a pencil and traced around the outside of the Circuit Playground. I then folded the hole in half and made a small slit in the center with the scissors. I cut the hole slightly smaller than the pencil outline. This way the Circuit Playground was still snug!

I then took a pair of scissors and cut out the top and bottom teeth. I focused on making three small triangles. I did this without a template but you can draw it out with a pencil and paper and then use that as a template if you'd like!

Next you will cut out two nose pieces from black felt! These will be fairly small!

This step took some time and patience! But it makes the design so cute! I used a Sharpie marker to outline the letters onto the turquoise felt. I then used scissors to cut each letter, making sure my cuts where on the inside of the marker outline (that way you can't see the marker!) Make sure the letters are cut small enough. (That way all of the letters fit across the felt backing.) Another option is to use foam lettering! Don't forget this is customizable! You can also choose your own saying if you'd like!

My pouch is 3 ¾ inches long by 4 ⅛ wide. You could probably cut it 3 ½ by by 3 ¾ inches and be just fine! I just wanted to make sure the battery had plenty of room and wouldn’t fall out! I used white felt but any color would work!

Next you will cut out a circular button from the conductive material. Your button should be about the size of a quarter!

Next you will want to mount your Circuit Playground to the felt by using the green thread. Take your alligator and make sure you are mounting the Circuit Playground in the same spot where you cut the hole (You want the hole and the Circuit Playground to line up correctly.) I attached mine by threading through four pins on the Circuit Playground. This ensures the Circuit Playground is secured properly and evenly. Make sure to go through each pin 4-5 times. I threaded mine through two ground pins and two 3.3V pins. You can always thread through more pins if you'd like. Make sure not to thread through the A3 pin. This pin is for your wiring.

Next you will set up the wiring. Wrap wire around the A3 pin 4-6 times. Make sure it is wrapped snug! Next, you will want the wiring to be threaded to the inside of the felt. You will need to poke the end of the wire through the tan felt. Thread it through the felt as close as you can to the Circuit Playground. (Don't worry the alligator will hide this!) Then run the wire horizontally to the far right side of the felt. Then poke it back up through the front of the felt! Bend the remaining wire into a circular shape. Make sure you give yourself a long enough piece of wire. Mine was about 12 inches. You can always cut the wire easily, so give yourself extra!

Next you will want to glue on the alligator's googly eyes, teeth, and nose pieces with hot glue. You can line up your top and bottom teeth so they are not directly on top of each other. But don't worry, it doesn't need to be perfect!

Next you will want to hot glue the alligator to the felt. Start by making sure your alligator is even on the bottom and lined up with the left side of the felt. Add hot glue to the bottom edges of the alligator starting on the bottom far left. Work your way down the bottom and around to the mouth. Then glue the top and finish off with gluing the left side.

Lay out the letters across the top of the felt. Make sure they are evenly distributed before gluing! Hot glue on one letter on at a time starting on the left.

Use super glue to attach the button. You will only need to add a little around the edges! You should still have your wire poking through! You will set your button directly on top of your wire. Try not to get super glue in the middle of the button (this will cause your wiring connection to be less effective.)

Go around both sides and the bottom with hot glue to attach the battery pouch. Just not the top!

Next you will go around all of the edges and hot glue the backing closed.

Use hot glue to attach the suction cups to the back of the felt. (I actually went to the Dollar Store and found a soap holder that had two suction cups on the back!) Glue one on the left side and one on the right side. Before gluing, check and make sure they are even. This will help it to hang evenly on the bathroom mirror.

You did it! Give your timer a try! Happy brushing with Alligator Alex!