Hi, I’m Ty the founder of The Curious Wattle.
For the past 14 years, I’ve worked in the early childhood education sector across both Long Day Care and Outside School Hours Care (OSHC). Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to work in a variety of roles including Educator, Inclusion Support Educator, Educational Leader, Assistant Coordinator/Director, and Coordinator.
Working closely with children, families, and educators has shown me firsthand just how powerful play-based learning can be. The best learning doesn’t always come from expensive toys or structured activities—it comes from curiosity, exploration, and meaningful hands-on experiences.
The Curious Wattle was born from two passions: supporting children’s learning through natural, open-ended play and creating a better work-life balance for my own family. As a husband and father to three energetic boys, I wanted the opportunity to spend more quality time with my family while continuing to contribute to the education sector I love.
Over the years, I noticed a gap in the market. It was difficult to find quality resources that encouraged fine motor and gross motor development using natural materials. I also saw a lack of thoughtfully designed STEM, tinker, and loose parts collections, with educators often needing to purchase items from multiple suppliers just to create one engaging learning experience.
That’s why we created The Curious Wattle.
Every collection is thoughtfully designed to inspire creativity, problem-solving, imagination, and hands-on exploration. We carefully source natural and open-ended materials that encourage children to investigate, create, build, and learn at their own pace.
Whether you’re a parent creating meaningful play opportunities at home or an educator designing engaging learning environments, our goal is simple—to make it easier to provide rich, play-based experiences that spark curiosity and support every child’s development.
At The Curious Wattle, we believe the best learning begins with curiosity.
Thanks for being part of our journey.
Ty