Keep Your Toddler Entertained with This Arduino Busy Board
Matthew Bathje's project includes a variety of switches and controls, perfect for his two-year-old son's enjoyment!
Kids love playing with switches, buttons, doorknobs, and the like, and while this can be a bad thing in some situations, it’s also possible to use this as a great source of entertainment, in the form of a so-called “busy board.” These boards take a wide variety of sizes and shapes, and as long as they’re safe, there’s really no wrong way to make one.
Matther Bathje decided to construct a version of his own for his son’s first birthday, and — in an on-and-off build process that all too many of us are familiar with — now that he’s 2 ½, it’s finally done.
The project uses an Arduino Mega 2560 as the heart of its electronics, controlling vibrating discs, a PC-style fan, lights, and audio via an MP3 module for feedback. Inputs include a rotary encoder to scroll a large strip of WS2811 lights wrapped around the board's exterior, as well as a ducky made out of conductive paint and copper wire, a force-sensitive resistor, switches, buttons, and even a rotary phone dial. There’s also a trio of dials that control a light mixing section in a red-green-blue pattern. A lock, doorknob, and small door that pulls open are available for non-electrical fun.
Bathje has shared the code for the build on GitHub, along with a bunch of pictures on Imgur if you’d like to attempt your own take on it.
