So it was only natural that this Kuala Lumpur-born former auditor began to notice how modern parents work these days. Many were freelancers, while others worked from home, which explained the number of parents he spotted working in cafés.
Wouldn’t it be nice if more places had a fun little corner where children could play, while their parents worked on their laptops nearby?
This inspired him to set up Modle, a company supplying open-ended play and furniture products.
“I hope people feel they have spaces outside of their home where they can spend time with their kids, while getting their stuff done. Me, I’m very much like that, I work two businesses. I’d love to have a safe and enriching place where our kids can have fun and I don’t need to be a ‘helicopter parent’ around them,” Loh, 36, told FMT Lifestyle.
When it comes to building things, Loh’s the man: he was one of the co-founders of Epic Homes, a social enterprise which builds homes for underprivileged communities.
“I was mainly involved with its finances. But I liked working with my hands. Even since young I loved to tinker and invent. I was always drawn to going on site, helping to build the house and train volunteers. I think I did about 150 homes until the time I left,” the father of three said.
Loh is also the founder of Kitabina Makerspace, which teaches people woodworking skills before embarking on building projects together.
Modle’s customisable indoor sets are available in various sizes and packages, but usually consist of beloved playground staples like slides, tunnels, ramps, platforms, monkey bars and fireman poles. The company also crafts smaller play sets which parents can set up in their own homes.
One of the distinguishing features is that instead of metal or plastic, which Loh described as “cold,” all their playgrounds are crafted from local-made furniture-grade plywood. These natural materials also mean their products are ecologically sustainable and carbon-negative.
The company’s name is a combination of the words “modular” and “learn,” a reference to the modular system of constructing their playsets, and how each of the components is designed to facilitate growth and learning.
According to Loh, Modle’s products are highly customisable, with the company creating different styles of playgrounds for different age groups.
“We do a lot of research, and create our sets around different developmental milestones at different ages. We usually advise our clients depending on what ages are likely to come visit them,” Loh said.
“For example, if there is a big preschool crowd, we provide all our products for ages one to six. Maybe slides that are slightly lower, with more padding, and not so many monkey bars. If there are older children, maybe we add things like climbing walls.”
Modle’s indoor wooden playgrounds can be spotted in various venues in the Klang Valley: these include Kam Kee and Abby’s Play Café in Bukit Jalil, the Red Beanbag in Mutiara Damansara, The Pantry in Plaza Mont Kiara and Nippori Café in One Utama. One of their biggest set pieces is located at the St Regis Kuala Lumpur.
Loh has bigger plans for Modle in the days to come: having recently built playgrounds in Johor and Penang, they hope to bring their unique style of indoor play all over Malaysia.
Bigger, more ambitious projects such as obstacle courses for adults are also in mind: “think something like American Ninja Warrior,” Loh said with a grin.
Loh ultimately hopes that children have a fun time with Modle’s playgrounds, which he regards as an excellent avenue for fostering physical fitness and enhancing motor skill development. They are also a good way to curb gadget addiction.
“Technology is great, but children should not be slaves to gadgets. I think all kids should be introduced to free play, it will help to build up their character. It might look frivolous, but ultimately, play is how children learn a lot of valuable life lessons,” Loh concluded.
For more information on Modle, visit their website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.