NEW ULM — Tuesday afternoon, a special ribbon cutting was held for New Ulm’s first gaga ball pit in Harman Park.

Gaga Ball is an simple game that can be played by several people at once. All the players climb inside the pit to play a variation of dodge ball. After the initial serve the players try to hit the ball into other players, to knock them out of the game. Players can deflect the ball with their hands, but they can’t catch it. If they get hit anywhere besides the hands, they are out of the game.

The decision to build a gaga ball pit in Harman Park came from Eagle Scout Dylan Kotten. Kotten said he decided to build the pit for his Eagle Scout project after playing the game a lot at Scout camps.

“It’s a super fun game and it didn’t exist anywhere in New Ulm,” Kotten said.

The actual construction of the pit took three to four days, and Kotten had some help from friends, family and fellow Scouts. They actually completed the pit a day ahead of schedule.

The materials were provided by the Park and Recreation Department, but the design and concept were all Kotten’s.

Park and Recreation Director Tom Schmitz said the department was considering adding more gaga pits to the parks system. It is hoping to acquire a portable gaga ball pit that can be used indoors.