Design
Nature-based outdoor spaces designed around how children actually play, and built to meet the Australian Standards and the National Quality Framework.
Our design process →It was lovely to meet you at Better Together.
Thanks for stopping by the Wearthy table. Whether we talked about mud kitchens, compliance or the outdoor space you're hoping to reimagine, we'd love to keep the conversation going. Here's a little more about who we are and what we believe.
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We're a South East Queensland based team of designers, builders and educators who create natural playgrounds for courageous and resilient children.
Founded in 2013 by Lukas and Vanessa Ritson, Wearthy started with a simple belief: every child has the right to play and to feel a sense of belonging. Since then we've designed and built outdoor spaces for early learning centres and schools across Australia. Our spaces invite children to climb, dig, build, splash and wonder, and they give educators an environment that does some of the teaching for them.
We handle everything from the first sketch to the first muddy footprint.
Nature-based outdoor spaces designed around how children actually play, and built to meet the Australian Standards and the National Quality Framework.
Our design process →Our own construction team brings each design to life, from sandpits, creek beds and mud kitchens to timber climbing structures, cubbies and gardens.
See our playgrounds →Training and professional development that helps educators use their outdoor spaces with confidence, including how to support risky play.
Education & training →
A seed needs sun, soil and water to grow. Children are the same: the environment we give them shapes who they become. The Ecology of Play is the philosophy behind every space we create. It rests on three things children need to thrive.
Unhurried, unstructured time to explore, discover and create, without every moment managed for them.
The freedom to make their own choices and take healthy risks. Confident, independent children grow into confident, independent adults.
Open-ended environments full of loose parts and natural materials, where a log can become a boat, a stage or a bridge.
Upload photos of your outdoor space and get an instant analysis against the Ecology of Play framework, with actionable recommendations.
Calculate your playground's risk score against AS 4685 and see where to focus your attention first.
An interactive AS 4685 and AS 4422 checklist covering 20 key items across equipment, surfacing and documentation.
Free guides on playground design, safety standards, costs and compliance in Australia, answering the questions centres and schools ask most.
Sentence starters to encourage awareness, problem-solving and emotional development during outdoor play.
Conversations with researchers, educators and advocates on why play matters, with practical takeaways for educators and parents.
An in-depth guide to risk vs hazard, appropriate challenge, and how risky play supports children's healthy development.
Thinking about refreshing your outdoor space, or not sure where to start? Book a no-pressure chat with our team and we'll help you work out what's possible.
Book a chat