Why Can't the World Be Your Canvas?
SGNP Saturdays: Toy Train, Deer, and Painting Without Rules
Every Saturday morning, we drive to Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
If you’ve been following us for a while, you already know this. It’s our ritual. Our reset button. The one thing we protect no matter how busy the week gets.
But here’s the thing about SGNP. It never gives you the same Saturday twice.
The trails are the same. The entry gate is the same. The early morning mist, the familiar faces of fellow walkers, the smell of wet earth and green... all familiar. And yet, every single week, something shifts. A new perspective sneaks in. A moment catches you off guard. Something small happens that stays with you for days.
Today was one of those days.
Part 1: The Van Rani Toy Train
We’d been wanting to take Tara and Tashi on the Van Rani for a while now. For those who don’t know, Van Rani (literally “Queen of the Forest”) is SGNP’s iconic toy train. It’s been around since the 1970s and has been a part of countless Mumbai childhoods.
The train was shut down for over four years after Cyclone Tauktae damaged the tracks back in 2021. But it’s back now. And it’s better than before.
The new Van Rani runs on battery power instead of diesel, so it’s quieter and more eco-friendly. And the best part? It’s completely open-air. No glass walls. No enclosed coaches. Just you, the forest breeze on your face, and the sounds of the jungle all around you. The entire 2.3 km track has been rebuilt from scratch, including all 15 bridges along the route.
For the kids? It was pure magic.
Tara and Tashi were soaking it all in. The wind in their hair, deer walking alongside the tracks, trees rushing past on both sides.
Neither of them cared about the engineering marvel of it. They just cared that they were on a train. In a forest. With animals walking around freely.
That’s enough. That’s always enough.
Quick practical details if you want to try it:
SGNP is open Tuesday to Sunday (closed Mondays), from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM. The toy train starts at 9:00 AM. The ticket counter is right near the toy train station, close to the boating area, so you can’t miss it. There’s a minimum number of passengers needed for the ride to start, so weekends are your best bet.
Tickets are Rs. 98 for adults and Rs. 37 for children. The train departs from Krishnagiri Station and returns to the same place, passing through the Deer Park, some bridges, and tunnels along the way. The whole ride is about 15 to 20 minutes.
Our tip: go early. Reach by 9 AM if the toy train is your goal. The first few rides of the day tend to be less crowded and the morning light through the forest canopy is gorgeous from the open coaches.
Part 2: When Deers Become Your Art Teacher
After the train ride, we did something we hadn’t planned but felt completely right in the moment.
We set up an outdoor painting session.
No easels. No reference sheets. No “draw this” instructions. Just some paper, colours, and one simple ask: feel what you see. Draw whatever you feel.
And what they could see was this. Trees everywhere. Sunlight coming through the canopy. And deer. Actual, real deer, just a few feet away, grazing like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Now think about this for a second.
Most painting classes for children happen in closed rooms. Four walls. Artificial lighting. A printed reference image taped to the board. The teacher says, “Today we draw a butterfly.” And every child draws the same butterfly.
Why?
Why do you need to paint in a closed room? Why can’t the world be your canvas?
When children paint outdoors, surrounded by the thing they’re observing, something different happens. They don’t just draw what they see. They draw what they feel. The colours change. The shapes get looser. The energy is different.
We didn’t give them direction. We didn’t correct their strokes. We didn’t tell them what to draw or how to draw it. We just sat there, watched them work, and let the forest do the teaching.
The SGNP Perspective
Here’s what I keep coming back to after every Saturday morning at SGNP.
We live in a city that moves at a speed that makes it hard to think. Mumbai doesn’t slow down for anyone. And in that speed, we forget what a full life actually feels like.
A full life isn’t about doing more. It’s about being present for what you’re already doing.
When you sit by a pond and eat watermelon under the trees while your children paint next to deer, you’re not being unproductive. You’re not “wasting a Saturday.” You’re living the kind of life that most people scroll Instagram wishing they had.
The difference is, you just have to show up. That’s it. Drive to the park. Walk in. Let the forest do the rest.
Every Saturday at SGNP gives us something different. Some weeks it’s a conversation with a stranger who becomes a friend. Some weeks it’s watching Tara and Tashi discover a new insect. Some weeks it’s just the silence that hits you when you step past the gate and realize the city has disappeared behind you.
This week, it was a train ride and a painting session with deers. And the reminder that children don’t need walls to create. They need the world.
Something New Starting Today
Starting this week, we’re going to share our Saturday SGNP experience with you every Sunday.
Think of it as a weekly dispatch from the forest. Not a travel blog. Not a review. Just an honest account of what we experienced, what the kids did, what perspective shifted for us, and what you can take away from it for your own family.
Every Saturday at SGNP brings a new lens to look at life through. And we want to share that with you. Week after week.
So if you’re a parent in Mumbai (or anywhere, really) looking for a slower, more intentional way to spend your weekends with your kids, stay with us.
Subscribe if you haven’t already. And maybe, just maybe, join us one of these Saturdays.
The forest is always open. And it always has something to say.
See you next Sunday.
If you’re curious about our Saturday SGNP mornings or want to join us for one, reach out. We’d love to have you.
The PI Square Way
At Life of PI Square, we believe that the best environment for a child isn’t one where learning is scheduled. It’s one where learning is natural. Where curiosity is celebrated, not managed. Where children are trusted to explore, to question, to fail, and to try again.
We built this for our daughters. And now we’re sharing it with families who feel like something is off about the default path but don’t quite know what the alternative looks like.
If that’s you, we’d love to talk. Book a free 15-minute discovery call. No pressure. No pitch. Just a conversation between parents.
Because parenting is easy. When you trust your children.
📞 Book a call: +91-96540-55169 🌐 Visit: www.lifeofpisquare.com 📷 Instagram: @lifeofpisquare 📧 Email: parent@lifeofpisquare.com