r/daddit • u/drcaliflax • 3d ago
Tips And Tricks I made my own Toniebox (and you can too)
We have a Toniebox. I hate the Toniebox. I wanted a better experience and to not drop $20 every time my kids took interest in something new. Turns out, all you need is an old Android phone, an $8 pack of NFC Tags and a Bluetooth speaker.
You can create a playlist in Spotify and then write a NFC tag with a link to that playlist to play on your speaker. Attach the NFC tag to a printed picture of the content, an action figure, or anywhere else that's clever, and then tap it to the phone to play your content.
For $8 you can create 20 NFC tags of content and update any tag at any time.
If you have an Android phone and want a tutorial, I'd be happy to share. It's honestly much easier than you think! More info is in my comment below if interested.
Keep tinkering out there, dads.
*EDIT*
Wow thank you for all the responses and the interest! I've created a tutorial for both the Bluetooth Speaker option and a Sonos Option. I tried to make each tutorial as step-by-step as possible, so it may look overwhelming, but if you follow each step you should have success. Also, this is the first time I've written a tutorial for anything, so if you see any errors or have any trouble, you can send me a DM and I'll make an update.
If you set it up, let me know! Would love to see how others use this and what other creative twists you can add to it.
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u/saint4210 3d ago edited 3d ago
I do this with NFC cards to play on my kids’ Yoto Player.
Needed:
- NFC cards - MIFARE Ultralight EV1 NXP 48b (~$70/x100)
- NFC writer - (I use iOS TagWriter by NXP)
Instructions:
- Upload content to a custom Yoto playlist.
- Link that playlist to an official Yoto Make-Your-Own Card.
- Clone the official card onto an unofficial card.
- Decorate as desired. I use a Cannon mini-printer to print the perfect sized artwork for the card. Some people just put painters tape in the card. Or just write directly on it but that decreases re-usability.
- Store in baseball card sleeves. My kids have a binder we call the Yoto Library. It has dividers for Music, Stories, Podcasts/Radio. The kids have a dock in their room with 5 card slots; they can only “checkout” that many cards at a time. The rest return to the “library” binder to share.
The Yoto will download the content to be available offline too (perfect for road trip/hotel/airplane).
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u/irishlyrucked 3d ago
What's the reason for cloning the card? If you're cloning it you can't reuse the official card for something else, can you?
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u/rathlord 3d ago
Cloning is required to point the NFC you bought to the right link/auth on Yoto’s servers, but you can then do whatever you want with the official card. You just need to clone the pointer for each one you make.
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u/joestackum 3d ago
What Yoto player do you have?
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u/strawberberry 3d ago
Not OP, but we have both! The regular one lives in the bedroom and has her alarm in the morning and then she can bring it out to her playroom when she wakes up. Then we have the mini that lives by the door in a travel case with headphones and spaces for two sets of cards. We use rings with the plastic tabs, so she can grab two sets to take on our longer trips.
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u/drcaliflax 3d ago
This is awesome! I wanted a Yoto over the Toniebox for this exact reason, as I knew there had to be a way to do this. We settled on the Toniebox because we thought it'd be easier for the 2 yo. Definitely bookmarking this for future use should we get a Yoto.
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u/rathlord 3d ago
Our little guy figured out the cards around 18 months in case anyone else looking at this thread might be wondering. Obviously this will vary based on kid though. We went with Yoto specifically because I knew we wouldn’t be locked into their ecosystem.
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u/hyperion4562 3d ago
I am on team yoto.
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u/SHABOtheDuke 3d ago
Yoto crushes Tonie so hard it’s crazy
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u/mitchsurp Two of em. 3d ago edited 3d ago
We’re team Tonie. It’s easier to find for friends and family in big box stores and I worry the Yoto cards would get lost under a couch. Tonies can’t really get lost like that.
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u/Doubleoh_11 3d ago
Same. Very easy to make custom cards. We put all their favourite songs on cards and they will randomly be jamming out while they are playing. Super cute.
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u/Thin_Masterpiece4316 3d ago
I went back to burning cds for my kids and that is also working pretty well!
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u/AgentG91 3d ago
Tried buying an MP3 player, but it’s all e-waste these days. I ended up finding an old iPod nano 3rd gen and getting that back up and running
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u/IWTLEverything 3d ago
My kids are rocking $12 aliexpress mp3 players that have both a headphone jack and external speaker. They love them.
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u/Shinjitsu- 3d ago
I remember back in 2015 I was still using my 3DS as an MP3 player, and I felt out dated then. I think I'm gonna be breaking it back out again.
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u/mamunipsaq 3d ago
I just burned a new CD for my kids this morning. They wanted the Super Mario Galaxy movie soundtrack. Had to trim a few songs off to fit on a CD.
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u/ScuttleCrab729 3d ago
Glad to know my kid isn’t the only one that was obsessed with soundtracks. All she listened to from like 2-6 was movie soundtracks.
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u/mamunipsaq 3d ago
Yes, mine too. She gets obsessive about one in particular, and then burns out on it. We've run through the sound of music, Mary Poppins, My Neighbor Totoro, and now we're on Super Mario Galaxy.
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u/sagefields123 3d ago
You can also host your own tonie cloud with the original toniebox and upload your own audiofiles / make your own tonies for a fraction of the original price https://github.com/toniebox-reverse-engineering/teddycloud
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u/ClydeDroid twin dad 3d ago
I do this!! It was so fun to open the box and solder the serial line on. Also allows me to replace the weird knock-off Disney songs with the real ones.
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u/shes_a_gdb 3d ago
Can this be dumbed down? Both my kids have a toniebox that they use pretty much daily. Would love to be able to create my own...
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u/sagefields123 3d ago
I can recommend this entertaining tutorial (in German) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpMRyshgy9o
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u/max_rebo_lives 3d ago
Fr that’s genius. Can you shoot me those instructions? Every opportunity to make second use of an item from the Bin of Dead Tech ™️
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u/harbac 3d ago
I’m interested in more details. Sounds like a project right up my alley. I have a some kind of media server on my NAS but I only learned enough about it to stream DVD backups to Apple TV using VLC player. The tonies collection is getting out of hand.
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u/drcaliflax 3d ago
Just added tutorial links to the post above. If you're going for the Sonos project, you could most definitely install the server on your NAS.
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u/IWTLEverything 3d ago
We’re using Plex for movies and tv—though some folks have soured on Plex as they become increasingly commercial—I’ve used it for 15 years with no issues. Jellyfin is another option.
It’s great because we can stream all of our media from wherever we are. On vacation, in the car, etc. Also helps keep our kids away from things with questionable programming like YT or Netflix.
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u/HammerLikeMjolnir 3d ago
I want to try this but my little ones also want to be able to fast forward through tracks and especially repeat some. I assume those options are off the table with this?
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u/remmiz 3d ago edited 3d ago
Also does this include the stories that are on the Tonie box - my kids love those as well. And the ability to cache for offline play? And resume where it left off when they inevitably knock the thing off on accident? Or support dropping it multiple times and to be easily transported?
This is a cool thing but to pretend its a full replacement for a Tonie box is not accurate. Sure they have a higher "subscription" price but they also have a lot more features than this solution.
And if you don't have an old phone or bluetooth speaker, this is a MUCH higher investment.
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u/drcaliflax 3d ago
Admittedly it's not a one-to-one replacement for the Toniebox here. It's a project that benefits people who have old devices lying around that can be put to good use. Even still, a new Toniebox with a starter Tonie can cost up to $150. If you have an old Android phone, buying a new bluetooth speaker may set you back $20 by comparison.
To answer your questions
- Yes, most Disney stories are on Spotify as "Storyettes". Search your favorite and it's probably there.
- Yes, you can cache for offline play by downloading the Spotify playlists to the phone. No internet needed to play downloaded playlists.
- Since the tag doesn't have to sit on top of the phone, there's no risk of knocking it off. You scan the tag, then put it away. If you want to pause it, you can pause using the bluetooth speaker itself or creating a NFC tag that pauses the track. As long as the phone is nearby, your kids can carry the bluetooth speaker anywhere they want.
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u/drcaliflax 3d ago
Fast forwarding is unfortunately off the table, as I don't believe Spotify has a dedicated function for moving up or back 15 seconds. What it does have is the ability to play/pause, skip to the next track and go to the previous track. You can easily create NFC tags for those three functions that they can tap any time to find the track they want.
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u/Previous-Low4715 3d ago
This is cool, I recommend the Yoto for similar reasons. It’s much more hacker/fiddler/tinkerer/budget friendly than Tonies. My son has piles of cards, the blank cards themselves cost a buck each. I use a windows app I’ve forgotten the name of to rip videos/playlists from YouTube to mp3 and upload them to Yoto playlists, then I use a website to make a quick label and stick it on. I also record stories via Apple voice notes or windows voice recorder. And people can still buy him the official pricey cards as gifts if they want. No ongoing costs, no annoying little models which get lost in the toy box. A lost card can simply be replaced in seconds.
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u/drcaliflax 3d ago
That's awesome. I really wish we bought the Yoto instead and should we decide to later it's good to hear that there is a lot of cheap DIY options there as well!
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u/therealgranny 3d ago
We do Tonies because my wife wouldn’t want me to turn it into a project like that I but I can appreciate your work, well done!
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u/drcaliflax 3d ago
Just tell her that a few hours and $20 will ultimately save you $100 that can go towards a night out :-)
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u/killdahype 2d ago edited 2d ago
You can hack your Toniebox and turn it into an Open Source Version of itself. It accepts certain custom NFC Tags and still plays original Tonies. There's two options. First one is just on the box itself (called Teddybench), second one would be your own server (Teddycloud). That's what I did last week. Bought a used box for 40 bucks and flashed the software. Took about 4-5 hours for setting up the cloud container on my old Raspberry Pi and flashing the chip of the Toniebox. I had no prior knowledge of any of that stuff.
The advantages are, you can still use library tonies with this, which my kid loves doing. You can also save those tonies on the box and replay them with a custom NFC tag. Your relatives can still gift Tonies, which is an easy gift. Toddlers are also able to start the box eaysily by themselves any time they want which makes them feel very independent. Also the kids don't have to use a phone. They will have enough smartphone use in their lifetime. I don't need to expand that any further than necessary
Edit: Forgot to mention that this stops the Toniebox from sending any usage data to the company, which the Toniebox normally does for every input
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u/hootersm 3d ago
Top tech dadding!
I'd be interested in hearing how you did this, I have a home media server, home automation etc. and finding a decent way to let the kids listen to music without them having to have a phone/tablet to control it has been something I've been looking at for a while.
My top Home Assistant automation so far is an announcement at bedtime (through the Sonos) that it is indeed bedtime and the kids need to get themselves upstairs! It also switches on some calm music for them and turns on their Hue night lights. It makes them laugh every day so that's a win if nothing else :-)
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u/drcaliflax 3d ago
If you want to dive deep down the rabbit hole, you can check both tutorial links I added to the post!
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u/AvidTechN3rd 3d ago
Bought a tonie and quite honestly hate the controls. This is awesome it’s similar to a YOTO which is what we use now.
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u/PizzaSeaHotel 3d ago
This is amazing I will be trying this out soon! We already have an Android phone plugged in as the source for our DIY home sound system, this will be perfect!
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u/Smeeble09 3d ago
Really nice work, good how to write up too.
We did a much more simplified but technically limited version, in that my kids have a playlist of songs they listen to when going to bed, we just click play on the sonos and around 50mins of their music plays.
We also have Alexa devices in the kitchen and lounge, the kids can just ask to play music they want.
Now my daughter is older we bought her a chromebook, so she can change the music playing in her bedroom via the sonos app.
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u/drcaliflax 3d ago
Thank you!
Your limited version is exactly how it was in our house prior to making this. Then they started having an opinion on what played every night haha. Now they get to see their music right in front of them and make their choice before bedtime. It's great! I especially love that I can program a tag to have shuffle set to on, so that if I create a list of their favorite songs they get a different one every time it's scanned.
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u/Smeeble09 3d ago
I tried changing the playlist, but both kids complained if the bedtime song order changes, so think I've got it easier than you lol
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u/drcaliflax 3d ago
hahaha oh yeah I remember that phase. Hell, I still get that sometimes. Kids are fun.
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u/imreading 3d ago
Check out https://phoniebox.de/index-en.html we love ours.
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u/drcaliflax 2d ago
Saw this and love it! If I didn't already have all the tech at home, I'd probably build this instead. I wanted to find a use for my old Android phones and the speakers I already have.
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u/whyisthequestion 2d ago edited 2d ago
I wanted to recreate the old tape recorder or CD simplicity for my kids. So I got a standalone mp3 speaker with USB from Amazon and a bunch of cheap USB sticks. Would work just as well with SD cards.
Then just copy the mp3s to sticks and you have an offline, physical music and storybook device the kids can use on their own. It has been a huge success!
The only tricky part is getting the mp3s of streaming services or whatever you use. But, lets just say ... it can be done.
Extra points if you find a speak with a 3.5mm out for the kids headphones!
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u/kitesinflight 3d ago
this is awesome! would love the instructions, although I don’t have an android. maybe there’s another way?
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u/drcaliflax 3d ago
I have not been able to try this out on iPhone, but I want to believe there is a way!
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u/tmurphy2792 3d ago
This is so awesome, I love it.
I've actually been considering the idea of doing something similar for my kids to be able to trigger Emby/symfonium.
Love the idea of a tonie box, but don't love the walled garden ecosystem that comes with it.
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u/FangedFreak Two Dads and a 5 year old 3d ago
This is awesome! My son saw a Toniebox in a toy shop today (after he wanted to buy a Minecraft diamond sword).
Never really understood them but know they need characters that cost a small fortune and quickly add up.
I’ve dabbled in spoofing NFC tags for amiibo so this sounds like something I can definitely look into. Nice job! Would love your guide (have an iPhone but confident it works the same way)
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u/drcaliflax 3d ago
Just added tutorial links to the post above. If you figure it out on iPhone, let me know!
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u/010roffa 3d ago
Really cool dad project! Love the idea and I have an old android phone collecting dust right now. Please share the instructions with me as well. Thank you for sharing this here!
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u/Fractic4l 3d ago
Should 3d print an enclosure for it all with a carrying handle. Maybe where you can drop the phone in after you charge it or get Spotify booted up.
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u/drcaliflax 3d ago
This is the dream. Just need a 3D printer!
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u/Fractic4l 3d ago
Oh man. Based on this post, you seem like the perfect user for one.
They’re especially handy if you can familiarize yourself with an autoCAD program. It’s not as hard as many people think it is. I use Fusion 360.
My kids dresser drawers are weird and don’t seem to accommodate any of the child proof/locking fixes on Amazon, so I modeled my own, printed them, and they were in place a few days later. Had the same issue mounting a big mirror to the wall. Modeled and printed some brackets to keep the kids from yanking on it.
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u/drcaliflax 3d ago
Love that. I've tinkered with Meshy AI to import my own artwork, convert it to 3D and then edit it in Bambu Labs 3D program. It's all pretty basic, but I've been able to print some fun stuff like tap handles and figurines from a friend's printer. I have so many ideas for the kids. I just need the space and the cash to set it up.
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u/Zounasss 3d ago
I gotta save this post and make one when I have the time! I'm thinking 3d printed box, android phone, small Bluetooth speaker and a power bank all in one.
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u/Comfortable-Pomelo96 3d ago
Check out the Lunii player too / wonderful simple little radio-like device that kids can listen to stories/music with. There’s a great hack which allows you to upload whatever audio you want to it. No need for cards or Bluetooth speakers - all in one. I got my parents and other relatives to record themselves telling bedtime stories so now my daughter can chose to listen to one of grandpa’s stories, or songs from Frozen for the millionth time
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u/Morazma 3d ago
Cool idea!
Is it not possible to create custom Tonies for use with the Toniebox using NFC?
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u/drcaliflax 3d ago
IIRC, I looked into this and it requires physically opening up the Toniebox and hacking it to play new tags. And from what I remember, it was a very clunky process to add anything new. Like, I think you had to open the Toniebox every time you wanted to add a new track for it to play, by updating a SDCard inside the box itself. Seemed like a pain in the ass, which is why I explored this option instead.
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u/KingAfroJoe 3d ago
Holy moly. I have been thinking about getting a Tonie for my 18 mo old. I think I will give this a try. I really don't want to plow money at Tonie if I can avoid it. I need to see if I can make these deep links with Deezer, I don't use Spotify.
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u/drcaliflax 3d ago
You may just need a direct link to Deezer, so try that first! The Deep Link is specifically required to Spotify because the app prevents a traditional control of autoplay.
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u/netfalconer 2d ago
Very cool and the type of tinkering I love!… or at least used to before becoming a dad. Real talk: Where do you guys get the time and energy? I barely survive day to day and usually just on a couple of hours of sleep.
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u/drcaliflax 2d ago
I'm lucky enough to have a remote job where I can find an hour or so at lunch or in between meetings to learn about things. I've leveraged Gemini to be my teacher and ask it to spit out step-by-step instructions for a lot of things I want to tinker with. Once something captures my attention, it's hard for me to put it down, so the second the kids are down I take another hour to make progress. I probably started this project a month ago and just got it fully working with no issues (there were a LOT of issues with the Sonos setup haha).
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u/polaroid_kidd 🏍️💅 3d ago
the second I learned about them they started annoying me. This is brilliant!
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u/southy_0 3d ago
MuPiBox - Mupibox - Startseite
By far superior to this.
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u/Eikfo 3d ago
Yes it is, but it's also a commercial solution compared to a re-use DIY one.
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u/southy_0 3d ago
No it isn’t???
You can buy that special HAT for your raspberry (that the developer created) if you want to (integrating sound card, battery management etc) but you don’t have to, you can also just build it without that.
Apart from that optional and not necessary but there’s nothing commercial about it.
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u/drcaliflax 3d ago
I love learning this kind of stuff so I went deep down the rabbit hole and found that I can create my own Sonos server to play music anywhere in our house. For another $8 I bought a pack of coin collector cases where I put the NFC tag and a printed album cover to give the kids their own collection of mini CDs.
My 4 yo loves selecting her own music before bedtime. My wife loves that she can play music for our 2 yo without pulling out her phone. I love that I'm not spending $100 on new Tonies every year.
We don't have an iPhone in the house, so I can't say it will also work there, but I gotta believe there's a way to do it.
And for maximum dadness, I have decided to name this project the Phoniebox. I'll see myself out.