Last Sunday I had the best kind of day — the kind where you look up and realise three hours have vanished because the table in front of you has been full of busy little hands the entire time.
Sustainable Futures Day is Ku-ring-gai Council's annual free community event showcasing healthy, sustainable and low-cost ways to live — and this year it filled Wahroonga Park with families on Sunday 30 August 2026. We were there with a Twisty Kids table as part of the Better Business Partnership, and it turned into one of our favourite days of the year.
A Family Day That Actually Felt Like One
Wahroonga Park came alive from 10am. The council had packed the day with things families could see, touch and try: solar and battery experts, an electric vehicle and e-bike display, composting and recycling tips, free native plants, and an induction cooktop demo turning out dumplings and pancakes. For the kids there were solar car races, a wildlife encounter with the Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden rangers, face painting and an RFS truck to climb on.
What struck me most was the feeling in the park. This wasn't a market where people rushed through. It was full of families who genuinely care — about their kids, their community, and the kind of future they're building. Exactly the people we started Twisty Kids for.
Why a Wax Stick Brand Belongs at a Sustainability Event
Some people are surprised to see a creative-play brand at a sustainability day. But it's the most natural fit in the world.
So much of what ends up in kids' toy boxes is single-use: plastic party favours, craft kits used once, dried-out dough tossed after a fortnight. Our reusable wax sticks are the opposite. They're used again and again, for years — warmed, shaped, pulled apart and rebuilt into something new every time. No glue, no batteries, no mess, and nothing to throw away. As sustainable kids toys go, the whole idea is that one set replaces a cupboard full of disposable ones.
That's the same reason they work as a screen-free activity: a child can sit down with a handful of sticks and stay genuinely absorbed — no charging, no waste, no screen.
The Kids Did Not Want to Leave
Here's the part I'll remember. I simply put a few wax sticks out on the table and invited children to have a go. That was it. No demo, no hard sell.
And they didn't want to stop. Kids sat down and created — enthusiastically, inventively, asking questions, showing me what they'd made, starting again to make the next thing. Parents kept catching my eye with that look every parent knows: what is this, and where do I get it?
Every child left with their own new set of wax sticks. And by the end of the day, we were completely sold out.
When a child is so absorbed in making something with their hands that they don't want to leave a park full of solar cars and fire trucks, that tells you everything about what open-ended, screen-free play can do.
Proudly Part of the Better Business Partnership
We were at Sustainable Futures Day as a proud member of the Better Business Partnership (BBP) — a free program jointly funded by Ku-ring-gai, North Sydney and Willoughby Councils that helps local businesses become more environmentally and financially sustainable. BBP supports members to reduce waste, save energy and water, and connect with a community of like-minded local businesses that care about doing things better.
Being part of that community matters to us. Sustainability isn't a marketing line at Twisty Kids — it's built into the product: reusable by design, made to last, and backed by responsible manufacturing and FSC-certified packaging. Standing in a park surrounded by other local businesses and families who value the same things was a real reminder of why we do this.
Explore the Range
If you met us at Wahroonga Park — or you're just curious what had the kids so hooked — here's where to start. Each of our themed sets is sixty reusable wax sticks, mess-free and screen-free, made for children aged 3 and up:
- Animals Play Set — sixty wax sticks that become giraffes, octopuses and a whole zoo on the kitchen table.
- Vehicles Play Set — race cars, rockets and fire trucks, built by hand, not battery.
- Dreamland Play Set — castles, dragons, mermaids and unicorns for the child who lives half in a story.
- Party Play Set — the party favour kids actually keep, and the perfect low-waste alternative to plastic bag fillers.
- Travel Set — our compact, screen-free kit for cars, planes and cafés.
👉 Browse the full Twisty Kids range and bring home the screen-free, reusable play the kids at Wahroonga couldn't put down.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sustainable Futures Day at Wahroonga Park?
Sustainable Futures Day is Ku-ring-gai Council's annual free community event promoting healthy, sustainable and low-cost living. In 2026 it was held at Wahroonga Park on Sunday 30 August, featuring educational stalls, electric vehicle displays, free native plants, kids' workshops and local sustainable businesses.
Why are reusable wax sticks a sustainable toy?
Reusable wax sticks replace many single-use craft and play products. One set is used repeatedly for years rather than thrown away, there's no glue, packaging waste or batteries, and they don't dry out like modelling dough. That makes them a low-waste, screen-free alternative to disposable kids' craft.
What is the Better Business Partnership?
The Better Business Partnership (BBP) is a free sustainability program jointly funded by Ku-ring-gai, North Sydney and Willoughby Councils. It helps local businesses reduce waste, save energy and water, and operate more sustainably. Twisty Kids is a proud member.
Where can I buy Twisty Kids wax sticks?
Twisty Kids reusable wax stick sets are available on our online store at twistykids.com. We're an Australian brand and ship across Australia. You can browse the full range, including the Animals, Vehicles, Dreamland and Party play sets, online any time.
Twisty Kids is an Australian brand making screen-free, sustainable, reusable creative play sets for children aged 3+. Proudly part of the Better Business Partnership.