Piñatas are tragic, beautiful creatures, used once in a carnival of destruction, then tossed out and forgotten. This guide demonstrates how to modify a piñata so that it can be filled and refilled with candy over and over again. 

This piñata also has an attitude, and can be programmed to respond, when hit, with sound effects or pre-recorded taunts. 

A servo motor is hidden inside the body of the piñata, allowing a trap door in the bottom to be mechanically opened. A Circuit Playground Express sits on its back, allowing the use of either MakeCode or CircuitPython to program and customize the behavior. 

The Parts

A Black woman's manicured hand holds a round microcontroller with lit up LEDs.
Circuit Playground Express is the next step towards a perfect introduction to electronics and programming. We've taken the original Circuit Playground Classic and...
$24.95
In Stock
Micro servo with three pin cable
Tiny little servo can rotate approximately 180 degrees (90 in each direction) and works just like the standard kinds you're used to but smaller. You can use any servo...
$5.95
In Stock
Group of Small Alligator Clip to Male Jumper Wires
When working with unusual non-header-friendly surfaces, these handy cables will be your best friends! No longer will you have long, cumbersome strands of alligator clips. These...
$3.95
In Stock
Slim Lithium Ion Polymer Battery 3.7v 400mAh with JST 2-PH connector and short cable
Lithium-ion polymer (also known as 'lipo' or 'lipoly') batteries are thin, light, and powerful. The output ranges from 4.2V when completely charged to 3.7V. This...
Out of Stock

Want to give your electronics a layer of protection? This enclosure case is a great way to protect your Circuit Playground Express from a swinging bat. 

Top down view of a clear acrylic Adafruit Circuit Playground Express or Bluefruit Enclosure.
We've got nice cases for many of our beloved boards, but the Circuit Playground Express and
Out of Stock

The Piñata

Most any piñata can be modified to work with the electronics listed above, however the exact piñata used for this project can be found on Amazon

Other materials you will need:

This guide was first published on Apr 11, 2019. It was last updated on Mar 19, 2024.

This page (Overview) was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

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