How to Install a GaGa Ball Pit
A step-by-step self-install guide for commercial GaGa ball pits — site prep, setting posts, bolting panels, and ASTM/CSA compliance. Ships across the U.S. and Canada.
A GaGa ball pit is one of the easiest active-play upgrades you can add — and BDI's commercial GaGa Ball Pit is genuinely self-install. It bolts together into a free-standing octagon and sits right on your surface — no concrete, no footings, no posts to set. Two people can build it in an afternoon with basic tools.
What's in the kit
The pit is an eight-sided ring of planks joined by steel brackets:
- Side planks (96") form the six plain walls; corner brackets join them at each angle.
- Two entry openings use pre-drilled lower entry planks plus entry brackets and shorter 32" entry planks.
- Every connection uses a 3/8" carriage bolt with a flat washer, lock washer, and hex nut.
- An instructional sign mounts beside an entry.
Order it ready-to-build, or as a bracket kit (you supply the wood to the included cut list).
What you'll need
A level, well-drained area roughly 20 ft across, a wrench/socket for the 3/8" hardware, and — only if you choose to anchor it — a drill and the included pegs.
Step 1 — Build the octagon
Bolt a corner bracket to the end of a 96" plank, then keep adding planks and corner brackets until you have an eight-sided base. Position the two entry openings where you want people to walk in (use the pre-drilled lower entry planks there).
Step 2 — Add the entries
Fit the entry brackets at the two openings and bolt the 32" entry planks between each entry bracket and the adjacent corner bracket. Snug every connection — bolt head on the plank side, washers and nut on the bracket side.
Step 3 — Anchor it (optional)
The pit is heavy enough to sit free-standing. On soft ground you can anchor it: drill 3/4" holes through a lower plank at the three angle-bracket points, attach the angle brackets, and drive a peg through each into the ground. No concrete required.
Step 4 — Finish
Mount the instructional sign by an entry, double-check every bolt, add your surfacing inside, and you're ready to play.
Choose your planks
The same design comes in powder-coated aluminum (premium), treated wood, or recycled plastic planks, with a wheelchair-accessible option — all selectable on the one GaGa Ball Pit product page.
Standards & shipping
Commercial-grade and built to CAN/CSA-Z614, ASTM F1487, and U.S. CPSC guidelines. Made to order in Alberta and shipped by freight across the U.S. and Canada — request a quote for freight to your site, or browse the self-install hub.