How to build a gaga pit in Australia.

From the kit: 8 galvanised steel brackets (one per corner), full galvanised hardware with spares, and the included build guide with drilling locations and assembly steps.

From your local timber supplier: 32 treated-pine sleepers (200 × 75 mm × 2.4 m H4) for the standard 80 cm wall, or 24 for the lower 60 cm wall. Bunnings and Bowens shopping lists come with the kit — see the parts list.

Tools: drill with a 10 mm bit for M8 bolt clearance, socket set, spirit level, tape measure, shovel, string line and marking paint.

Pick a level area with room to play. The standard pit is a regular octagon, 2.4 m per side and about 5.8 m across — allow roughly 9 m × 9 m overall, including at least 1.5 m of clear space around all sides for entry, exit and supervision.

The pit works on grass, mulch, compacted gravel or synthetic grass, with no permanent foundation required. Level the ground before you start and remove any rocks or debris.

Mark the eight corners on the ground using string lines and marking paint. The kit's build guide includes a simple method for laying out a regular octagon — for an octagon with 2.4 m sides, the distance across flats is approximately 5.8 m.

Double-check each side length and the overall dimensions before you cut or place anything. A small error at this stage becomes a gap in the wall later.

Lay the first course of sleepers around the marked octagon, end to end. The sleepers butt together at the corners — the steel brackets join them at the joint, which is why the bracket is shaped around the octagonal corner.

Use the spirit level to check each sleeper sits level and adjust the ground beneath where needed before bolting.

Hold a bracket over each corner and use its fixing holes as the drilling template, exactly as the included guide shows. Use a 10 mm bit for M8 bolt clearance. Wear safety glasses, and drill squarely through both sleepers meeting at the corner.

Drill the first course of every corner before bolting anything — the bracket hole pattern is consistent, so you can work around the whole octagon in sequence.

Bolt one bracket to each corner with the included galvanised hardware, following the assembly order and torque advice in the build guide. Work around the octagon, checking alignment with the level as you go.

The brackets tie the two meeting sleepers together at the corner, which is what makes the wall rigid without timber uprights.

Stagger the joints where practical as you stack the second, third and fourth courses, then bolt each course to the bracket in turn. Check the wall stays plumb as you rise — small adjustments at each course are easier than fixing a leaning wall at the end.

The standard build is an 80 cm wall made from four courses of standard 200 mm sleepers. The lower 60 cm wall uses three courses.

Go around every corner and check all bolts are tight, then re-check the wall for level and plumb. Trim or adjust any sleeper that sits proud, and make sure there are no protruding fasteners or splinters where players will push off.

If you have the School Kit, fit the weather-resistant rules sign to the wall and pin the laminated staff reference sheet somewhere nearby.

Get a ball and start playing — a gaga ball is included with the School Kit. Check the pit regularly for loose bolts, damaged sleepers and the condition of the surrounding surface as part of routine maintenance.

View the bracket kit

For schools: factor in supervision, surfacing, access and your internal purchasing rules. Many schools build into the yard planning cycle, so request a quote early — formal PDF quotes with our ABN arrive within 1 business day, and POs are accepted with 30-day terms.

Surfacing: mulch, compacted gravel and synthetic grass all work. Choose a surface that suits your supervision plan and school safety policies — this is a site decision, not something the kit dictates.

Supervision: gaga pit play carries inherent physical risks. Adequate supervision, a maintained pit and a clear surrounding area are the buyer's responsibility. Read our terms for the full buyer responsibilities.

Different sizes: need something other than the standard 5.8 m octagon? We can plan a custom parts list using 1.2 m, 1.8 m and 2.4 m sleeper lengths to suit your space.