Please tell me you never researched the availability of a Lego eggtimer! Too much time on your hands!
No, I just looked for a lego egg timer. I wondered how much one would cost. I then found it was unavailable in this country. So I made a joke about it. Well, I thought it was funny. Although, I also do have too much time on my hands.
What they need to do is build it by using the flat pieces. I know from experience that when you put those together, no force in the universe will pry them apart.