What began as a conversation between two sleep-deprived new mothers has grown into a promising business focused on creating toys for early childhood development.

Nicole Etter and Penny Long, childhood friends turned business partners, launched their business Nosey Toesie in late 2024 after two years of development.

Their first and most popular product, an interactive sensory playmat, was born from personal need. Mrs Etter’s seven-month-old and Mrs Long’s two-month-old babies were on a playmat together at the time when they came up with the idea.

“Most playmats don’t have sensory elements, so we thought let’s create something fun,” said Mrs Etter.

Drawing on their professional backgrounds – both mums have worked in early childhood education, with Mrs Etter a social worker and Mrs Long a nurse – they combined their knowledge to create a mat to support purposeful play in early development.

Kiwiana inspired, the Touch ‘n Go Play Mat was designed to enhance sensory exploration and stimulate cognitive development for infants.

“It took a long time to make the initial one,” said Mrs Etter. “For the first one, we went to Spotlight for the materials and did testing with our babies at the time.

“We then found a manufacturer who could make it and got a prototype done. We wanted a few things changed, then we were happy with the finished product,” she said.

Their range has since expanded to include an instrument set, muslin comforters, a rattle, a blanket, and a cot mobile, all bee themed.

Each product is designed to support grasping, reaching, and other key developmental milestones in babies and toddlers.

Their products have been safety tested to meet New Zealand toy standards.

The response has been heartwarming. “We got a video from a customer catching her baby’s first roll on our playmat,” said Mrs Etter. “That was special – to think our product may have helped with that milestone.

“A big challenge has been both us mama’s doing it all ourselves on top of being full time stay at home mums, it’s a lot of work, time, dedication and commitment but we believe in our brand, and it just makes us so happy getting feedback or seeing photos of other little explorers using products we have designed and created.”

For those considering launching their own venture, Mrs Etter offers simple advice: “Don’t sweat the small stuff – give it a go. If you think it’s a product that brings value, go for it.”

Available at Presentables and online at www.noseytoesie.co.nz, Nosey Toesie products have also featured at markets. Mrs Etter lives in the Eastern Bay, while Mrs Long is based in Te Puke.