Sanjay Mehta – The Man Who Changed How India’s Children Play

 Raghav Mehta

Before India knew what indoor soft play areas were… before colourful padded climbing zones became a part of schools, activity centres, and premium kids’ spaces… there was a man quietly building a safer childhood for Indian children.

At 60, Sanjay Mehta is still doing exactly what he started years ago — delivering smiles, movement, imagination, and learning to children across India.

Many in the industry today call him the OG. Others simply call him the father of soft play areas in India. But for Sanjay, it never started as a business trend. It started with a simple observation about childhood itself.

“Every child jumps on sofas. Climbs beds. Runs around the house. Falls, learns, explores,” he says. “That instinct to move, climb, and discover is already inside every child naturally.” And that one thought changed everything. The Creations was born.

The Birth of India’s Soft Play Movement

Back in 2013, when The Creations was primarily working with school supplies, toys, Montessori products, and educational materials, Sanjay Mehta and his wife Meenu Mehta began asking a powerful question:

Why should children grow in spaces full of sharp edges, restrictions, and fear of getting hurt? Why couldn’t they grow in an environment designed entirely around safe exploration? That question gave birth to one of India’s earliest soft play movements.

After months of experimentation, failures, redesigns, and relentless effort, the couple introduced a concept that was almost unheard of in India at the time — indoor soft play environments designed specifically to help children move, learn, climb, jump, balance, and grow safely.

What looked like colourful play equipment to the outside world was actually something much deeper. A developmental ecosystem. A world where every staircase was soft. Every landing was safe. Every obstacle became a learning experience.

Children could climb walls, crawl under bridges, bounce on trampolines, jump into pools filled with soft cubes, and release their endless energy without constant fear or restriction.

And parents loved it. Schools loved it even more. Because this was not just “play.” It was confidence-building. Motor-skill development. Instinctive learning. Physical intelligence. Social interaction. And emotional freedom — all hidden inside fun.

Soon, the idea exploded across India.

With what Sanjay Mehta humbly calls “God’s grace and the right intention,” the response was immediate. Institutions, schools, and educational spaces wanted to become part of this new wave of child development.

Today, The Creations supplies pan-India and has worked with respected institutions like Amity International School, Modern School, and The Shri Ram Wonder Years among many others.

Why His Vision Matters More Than Ever

But what makes Sanjay Mehta’s journey powerful is not just the scale. It’s the intention behind it. At a time when children are increasingly consumed by screens, closed rooms, and digital distractions, his work reminds society of something deeply important:

Children are meant to move. To fall and rise. And, to explore and test limits. To discover confidence through action. And perhaps that is why soft play areas are no longer just a luxury trend shifting from outdoor to indoor spaces. They are becoming a necessity.

Because in a world becoming harder, faster, and more digital every day, Sanjay Mehta spent years creating spaces that remained soft, joyful, instinctive, and deeply human. And even today, at 60 years old, the man, many call the OG of soft play in India, continues doing what he started years ago – building worlds where childhood still feels magical.