Handmade wooden children’s toys and games in Malaysia


While seeking a caregiver for his first child, Jon Ming and his wife, Q-Pei learned another way to raise his children.

It is known as the game’s exploration method, and after further investigation Q-Pei stumbled upon the Montessori approach.

Dictionary time: The Montessori method stimulates children’s learning by encouraging them to experiment and develop their fine motor skills. The toy should also allow them to work independently at their own pace and to use their creativity.

Whitby School

Day care centers or schools using this method tend to be very expensive as the toys provided are often imported and hard to find.

So they decided to go into full-time carpentry and quit their role as listeners at PwC to launch Modle.play, where they built their own open furniture and play products.

“It’s also a great way to develop local carpentry skills that are still underestimated to this day,” Jon told the Vulcan Post.

Stack the blocks

Since neither Q-Pei nor Jon have a design background, they mostly draw inspiration from European toy makers and Pinterest when developing Modle.play products.

Jon’s carpentry skills come from his grandfather and father who were passionate about repairing and building things.

As a school scout, building camping gear and making scout gear at district competitions had improved his building skills.

The couple’s production process begins with a rough prototype of the toys, which are then tested by their own children.

Malaysian Children's Handmade Wooden Toys and Games 1
Jon’s children are prototype testers themselves / Image credit: Modle.play

The drawing board is then readjusted and checked for potential hazards, such as loose wood chips and sharp chips, before it is released to the market.

Modle.play currently uses plywood from Nyatoh and Meranti for its durability, but hopes to find more durable FSC certified wood.

Dictionary time: FSC Certified means that the wood used in the product and the manufacturer who made it meet the requirements of the Forest Stewardship Council.

Fir

“But for the moment in Malaysia, this material will be very important and it will not be widely available,” he said.

Toys and games should also be safe and structurally sound, as they are intended for children 6 months and older.

For this, food safety surfaces are used on the wooden parts.

It is also coated with oil and a non-toxic acrylic / polyurethane finish to prevent it from absorbing into the wood.

Therefore, if food or drink is spilled on them (such as in children), they can be cleaned with a damp cloth.

A good investment in learning

Malaysian Kids Handmade Wooden Toys and Games 2
The team behind the woodwork / Image credit: Modle.play

Toys seem quite expensive to me. The larger ones like Klymb and Kiub, a foldable playset, cost RM560 and RM350 respectively.

While the blocks (building blocks) cost RM199 and RM349 for their small and large sets.

This led me to believe that the customers of Modle.play are mostly nurseries with a large influx of young children who would always play with the toys.

It would be a poor return on investment for parents who would buy their children to play at home only to neglect them as adults in a few years.

But Jon told the Vulcan Post it’s actually the opposite. Most of her clients are stay-at-home moms and believe in open learning.

He explained, “On the one hand, open learning does not require some orientation in the beginning when playing with the child. Al the boy.”

Little by little, children also learn that there is more than one way to play and they will begin to enrich their play materials with other accessories such as figures.

Malaysian Kids Handmade Wooden Games and Toys 3
The only limit is your imagination / Image credit: Modle.play

“As a result, open toys last as building blocks for years to come because they are open enough for different phases of play,” he said.

“So if you compare it to other toys, the ROI is well worth it.”

The playset is also foldable and can be taken from the house to the park, for example, if a family wants to have a picnic.

This makes it more practical than a normal plastic playpen on the market.

But Jon doesn’t ban daycare either. In the future, the couple hope that Modle.play will be affordable for both daycares and mothers.

“Most importantly, we continue to use this platform to provide employment opportunities for local Malaysians and inspire them to work with their hands and bring their ideas to life,” he said.

  • You can find more information about Modle.play here.
  • You can find more information about other Malaysian startups here.

Source of featured image: Q-Pei and Jon Ming, co-founders of Modle.play

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