Students at Cliff Drive Elementary in Tsawwassen have a fun new addition to their playground – a gaga ball pit – thanks to fundraising efforts by the school’s Parent Advisory Council (PAC).
Gaga ball is a fast-paced, high-energy sport played in an octagonal pit. The game is played with a soft foam ball, and combines the skills of dodging, striking, running and jumping, while trying to hit opponents with a ball below the knee. Players need to keep moving to avoid getting hit by the ball. If the ball touches a student below the knee, they are out. The last one in the pit wins.
“After hearing about the game’s popularity from our previous principal, we knew we had to have a Gaga ball pit on our school grounds. It is a fun, fast paced game that children of all abilities can enjoy. Cliff Drive PAC is proud to add another wheelchair accessible play structure to our school,” said Edina Bartell, previous PAC Chair, current Vice President.
The gaga ball pit cost more than $8,000 and was fully funded by the Cliff Drive PAC. On September 14, more than 15 members of the Cliff Drive parent community showed up at the school to help build the ball pit, with the ground prepared in advance by the school district’s Facilities and Maintenance Team.
“Students are loving it!” said Tom McGrory, Principal at Cliff Drive Elementary. “The students learn to be citizens through play, sharing and collaboration. We are so grateful to members of the PAC for their dedication to raising funds for this ball pit and for spending the time to assemble it.”
