About Our Workshop | Handcrafted Wooden Toys NZ

Precision Craft. Natural Timber. Made for Real Play.

Designed and made by hand and machine in our Tauranga home workshop.

From Board Games to the Nursery Floor

Muddle didn't start with children’s toys. It began with a passion for building—pairing traditional hand tools with CNC routers, laser cutters, and 3D printers to make custom board games and technical maker projects.

When our own child arrived, everything shifted.

Suddenly, our living room was filled with noisy, disposable plastic toys that offered little room for genuine imagination. We realized the exact same precision tools and workshop techniques we loved could be used to build something far better: tactile, durable, open-ended pieces made from real timber that invite children to explore on their own terms.

Family-Made in Tauranga

Every single piece leaves our Tauranga home workshop. My wife and I handle every stage together, from 3D CAD modeling and toolpaths to manual sanding, quality finishes, and packaging.

And our child? Chief Product Tester. If a piece can't survive real drops, active climbing, and daily toddler curiosity, it never makes it to the store.

We design with a clear rule: our toys must support open-ended, Montessori-inspired play, but look beautiful enough in their materials and grain that you’re proud to leave them out in your living room when the day is done.

The Workshop Standards

Native & Selected Timbers
We work with timbers we respect—warm Native Rimu, New Zealand Beech, and rich Walnut, alongside structural birch and sustainable bamboo plywoods chosen for strength and stability.
Modern & Manual Craft
We combine the micro-millimeter precision of CNC routers and laser engraving with traditional hand shaping, routing, and careful hand-sanding.
Safe & Lasting
Every edge is beveled and smoothed to a silky finish, then sealed with non-toxic, food- and child-safe oils and waxes. No synthetic plastics, no harsh chemicals.

Fewer, Better Things.

"Childhood is fleeting, but the objects that shape it should endure. We don’t build disposable fads. We build heirloom tools for curious hands and growing minds."

- The Muddle Workshop, Tauranga NZ