For the first decade of his career, Marcus guided children through nature as an outdoor education and mountain guide, igniting his passion for play as he watched children thrive in open ended environments. This journey led him around the globe, where he guided high school children and built his first playgrounds in Vietnam and Cambodia—crafted by children, for children.

In 2006, Marcus got married, and in 2007, he and his wife moved to Thailand, where he was invited to build a playground. This project quickly grew into a mission. Over the next few years, Marcus constructed 40 playgrounds along the Thai-Myanmar border for refugee communities. Using low-cost, local, and recycled materials, these playgrounds became vital spaces for over 25,000 children to play.

Driven by his passion for play, Marcus founded Playground Ideas (www.playgroundideas.org), a charity that documented years of learning to empower Anyone, Anywhere to create places for play, As of 2025 Around 8,000 playgrounds in 143 countries, impacting 4 million children are estimated to have been created. But more needed to be done. In refugee camps, where fixed playgrounds weren’t allowed, the idea for the Nüdel Kart and Rover (www.nudelkart.com) sparked—mobile, adaptable play spaces that bring creativity and joy to children in need worldwide.

What began as a solution for refugees soon aroused interest from Australian school teachers who recognized the educational value of the Nüdel Kart and Rover, and they quickly became trusted, high-quality resources in classrooms. Then the Idea, Instead of constantly chasing fickle and dwindling donations, Maybe selling Nüdels to wealthier nations could fund the charity?

Then came a request from a Ugandan charity wanting a Nudel not for a school, but for a family. So after another 5 years of development, Listening to hundreds of parents’ and observing children's play, Marcus began the next chapter of the Nüdel story. The Nüdel Pod was born—a versatile, all-in-one tool for modern families. More than just a toy, it’s a holistic tool designed to support children’s creativity, development, and play without compromise whilst also meeting the needs of a modern family. (or a family in a refugee camp).

At the same time, children are incredibly diverse and yet, In so many ways, their play process is remarkably similar and the Pod is designed to work with those deep roots that tie us all together.

Nüdel represents a lifelong dedication to designing environments where children can explore, create, and grow. It’s not just about play—it’s about making space for imagination to flourish, whether in a refugee camp or a family living room. Nüdel is the culmination of this remarkable journey, a testament to the belief that Play is what sets us apart and makes humans truely amazing and every child deserves a world where creativity and play can thrive.