Here to support and guide parents and educators on their woodworking journey.
After years of first-hand experience in ECE, one thing has become apparent:
Carpentry with children can be a challenge.
Whether due to lack of confidence, knowledge or safety practices, a sense of uncertainty surrounding childrens woodwork is common.
We're here to change that.
We've carefully selected tools and consumables that are perfect for little hands, and we're offering unparalleled support for parents and educators alike.
Meet Matt: Design Engineer, Father, Preschool Owner and the heart and soul of Build with Me.
With a background like that, an interest in carpentry and construction comes as no surprise.
Build With Me was started with the aim to create a ‘one stop shop’ for children's woodwork, supporting parents and early childhood centres to get the most out of the woodworking experiences they offer children.
Matt knows first-hand what's involved in creating an engaging carpentry area for young children. From sourcing untreated timber and selecting tools, to constantly sourcing more nails and screws. Not only can it be difficult to know what to buy, often time to do this is very limited and for none more so than for busy parents and teachers.
Build With Me is your one-stop shop - so you can make confident choices quickly and cost effectively to keep your children's projects moving ahead.
Matt and his wife, Lou, established Kidditech Early Learning Centre in 2008. They're passionate about running a small family focused preschool that offers a wide range of experiences for children and positive relationships for all, including whanau and our amazing teaching team.
Their individual passions partner perfectly with their science and technology themed, project based philosophy.
A note from Matt:
As a child I grew up using real tools and spent many hours testing and developing my practical skills and experimenting. I have no doubt that this had a huge influence on why I became an engineer and am constantly taking on too many DIY projects. I now see this in my own boys, their hunger for tinkering in the backyard and expressing the creative parts of their personalities. Is it nature or nurture, I'm not sure, but what I can say is that there is something extremely satisfying about feeding their creative minds. Oh and I still have the little hammer I had when I was a child!
Since 2015 I have been running children's carpentry sessions for under 5's at our local shopping mall. It is so enjoyable to get out in the community and inspire children and their parents with basic carpentry projects. The request from parents for more of this has been a huge inspiration for Build With Me. There is no doubt this is part of our New Zealand DNA.
Happy building,
Matt Fyfe.
