Our Story

My name is Shanti, I’m a mother of 2 and together with my husband Paul, we co-founded Little Wiwa. It is our small family owned business based in Melbourne.

It all began in 2016, when 4.5-month-old Vinnie showed signs of crawling and before we knew it, he was a little active commando crawler. Within a short time, he developed calluses on his elbows and putting him anywhere besides the hardwood floor or carpet wasn’t an option. It wasn’t practical nor comfortable and I knew I had to find a safe, plush play mat to support his newfound motor development.

After much research, not only could I not find any that suited our minimalist style, I also learnt the dangers of PVC toy products and the risks it could impose on our (kids’) health. Being a Food Scientist in my earlier career, I understood the biological toxicity this imposes. In particular, the stabiliser additives that are widely used in PVC products are harmful - causing toxic effects primarily on the developing immune system. Since then, there was no turning back - there was absolutely no compromise in my baby’s safety. This was the seed of aspirations for Little Wiwa and the rest was history.

Little Wiwa play mats are made using 100% non-toxic Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) foam and I’m proud to note that they are free from PVC, BPA and any toxic chemicals, making them a safe choice for our little ones. All our mats are waterproof, thickly padded (15mm) and reversible with minimalist, Scandi-inspired patterns. Not only are they safe and perfect for our little tumblers to play, learn and explore, without the additional chemicals/ additives, our play mats are also safe for the environment at the end of its lifecycle.

In those early days, we operated out of our garage. I would work during the day when Vinnie was having his naps and after his bedtime till late in the night answering emails. Paul and I would tip-toe out to the garage (taking our baby monitor with us) fulfilling orders ready for pick up next business day. Hectic was an understatement.

Since then, Little Wiwa Play Mats has grown exponentially and is now operating out of 3 countries - Australia, Singapore and Indonesia, with the growing team of stockists around the world, such as Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Kuwait, Qatar, Hong Kong and Sweden.

An eco-friendly luxury, Little Wiwa play mats is honourably proud to have since won Awards for our Brand locally and internationally. Today, we hold a great quality product that are not only minimalist and safe, but splashes joy and accompanies the family for many years to come.

Though still hectic in many ways since 2016, we are so grateful that our play mats are now housed in over 50,000 minimalist style lovers globally; in where our mini me(s) and future CEO(s) Vinnie and Louis are known to fill our days with joy, mess, love and laughter, reminding us each day that they were the reason for this journey. 

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

Love,
Shanti, Paul, Vincent and Louis.