Our Story
We're Maddi & Tim.
Two Brisbane parents raising two imaginative kids → Luna and Nova.
We’re partners in life and in business. We’ve always loved building things together. We're designers, authors, dreamers. Story Bounce is one of those ideas that started small and grew into something bigger than we expected.
Why We Built Story Bounce
Story Bounce was created as a playtime tool for tired parents who still want to say "yes" to play.
We designed modular play mats for jumping, balancing, and imagination-led movement.
Not to replace creativity, but to support it.
Not to demand more from you, but to make it easier.
Because sometimes the hardest part of play is just getting started.
Our True Why ♡
Luna has always loved stories. She can’t get enough of them.
We adore watching her imagination stretch and grow. But if we’re honest, we don’t always feel as imaginative as she does.
By late afternoon, we were often creatively burnt out. We wanted to play, but didn’t always have the energy to invent new games. We wanted connection, but often defaulted to screens because they were easier.
And we found ourselves frustrated by toys that demanded more from us when we already felt empty.
We didn’t need another toy.
We needed a better way to play. For them, and for us.
The Chalk Moment.
It started with chalk in the driveway.
Tim and Luna drew obstacle courses across the concrete → stepping paths, challenges, silly rules. It was simple, active, imaginative.
And it worked.
They built worlds together.
But every time the rain came, the course disappeared. And rebuilding it wasn’t always easy, especially on tired days.
That’s when the idea clicked:
What if there was a simple, repeatable way to recreate this type of imagination and movement play?
Something like an obstacle course, but so SO much easier to set up and pack away. No barrier for entry. Something that held the framework, so the story could flow without so much effort (and without upturning the entire house).
So We Turned Idea Into Reality.
Uniquely Designed, Completely Original.
We are creatives at heart. Tim has a background in film and is a talented illustrator, Maddi has a background in classical music, and we both design and make jewellery at BINKABU full time.
Story Bounce play mats are custom illustrated by Tim, and custom cut into different shapes that fit the theme. They aren't generic shapes and you won't find these artworks anywhere else. The illustrations are bold and vibrant, and hide little extra secrets and details to find to help prompt story ideas during play.
For parents who find "starting" the hardest part.
The neurodivergent challenge
As a parent with autism, ADHD, and a very demanding job, Maddi's contribution to Story Bounces product development was very personal.
Unstructured play can feel overwhelming, especially for those of us managing mental load, sensory fatigue, or executive function challenges.
These challenges were an important factor in our design process.
Kid approved
We knew we were onto something when we first received our prototype samples. Every day we found that our kids had taken them out to play again.
So we knew that other kids would 'get it' too.
Our Work & Passion
