Will and Terri Wara have just received a $10,000 Kiwibank grant to boost their whānau-based toy company The Woodlands.
The Waras make and sell a range of handcrafted wooden toys from their home in Glenbrook, Auckland.
'The African collection' from hand-crafted toymakers The Woodlands Photo: The Woodlands
The Waras had no previous experience in woodwork and taught themselves via YouTube, Terri tells Jesse Mulligan.
Later, Will handcrafted the first toys with a scroll saw and then Terri finished them off and painted them.
The very first toy the couple made was a wooden humpback whale. Now they sell close to 400 wooden toys - mostly animal figurines, and also puzzles, rainbows, mountains and blocks - "really beautiful basics" is how Terri describes the range.
Simplicity and authenticity are the secrets to The Woodlands' success, she says.
"We're coming from a place of wanting to help our planet, reduce impact and offer our kids a new toy that's not plastic."
The Woodlands' toys are made from sustainable maple and ash wood grown in small family tree farms in Canada and the USA.
Watch Will and Terri Wara receive their award:
