Portable Multi-Use Ball Pit

Abstract

A portable fenced-in ball playing area that includes a plurality of panels that have an upward slot on one end of the panel and a downward slot at the other end of the panel. The panels are assembled into a polygon shaped pit, such as for a Ga-ga pit, by fitment of upward and downward slots on adjacent panels. No tools are necessary for assembly. The panels can include hand holes for easy carrying. Some panels may have a top indentation or recess to assist children in entering or leaving the fenced-in ball playing area, such as a Ga-ga pit. These panels can be reversed so that the recess is facing downward to form a goal opening for a game using a ball, puck or the like.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fenced-in game playing area, comprising;
 a plurality of panels, each panel having a thickness and an upward open slot adjacent to one end and a downward open slot adjacent an opposite end;   the slots having a length of at least have the height of its respective panel, the slots having a width greater than an adjacent panel thickness, the panels engaged end to end to form a polygon shaped playing area.   
     
     
         2 . The fenced-in playing area according to  claim 1 , wherein the polygon shaped area comprises an octagon shaped area. 
     
     
         3 . The fenced-in playing area according to  claim 1 , wherein the polygon shaped area comprises a hexagon shaped area. 
     
     
         4 . The fenced-in playing area according to  claim 1 , wherein the playing area comprises a Ga-ga pit. 
     
     
         5 . The fenced-in playing area according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the panels includes a recess from one edge of the panel to provide a lowered entry location for a player to enter the playing area. 
     
     
         6 . The fenced-in playing area according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the panels forms a goal opening. 
     
     
         7 . The fenced-in playing area according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the panels includes a recess from one edge of the panel to provide either a lowered entry location for a player to enter the playing area when set in one orientation or a goal opening when set in an alternate orientation. 
     
     
         8 . The fenced-in playing area according to  claim 1 , wherein the polygon shaped area comprises an octagon shaped area, wherein at least one of the panels includes a recess from one edge of the panel to provide a lowered entry location for a player to enter the playing area. 
     
     
         9 . The fenced-in playing area according to  claim 1 , wherein the polygon shaped area comprises a hexagon shaped area, wherein at least one of the panels includes a recess from one edge of the panel to provide a lowered entry location for a player to enter the playing area. 
     
     
         10 . The fenced-in playing area according to  claim 1 , wherein the polygon shaped area comprises an hexagon shaped area, and wherein at least one of the panels includes a recess from one edge of the panel to provide either a lowered entry location for a player to enter the playing area when set in one orientation or a goal opening when set in an alternate orientation. 
     
     
         11 . The fenced-in playing area according to  claim 1 , wherein the polygon shaped area comprises an octagon shaped area, and wherein at least one of the panels includes a recess from one edge of the panel to provide either a lowered entry location for a player to enter the playing area when set in one orientation or a goal opening when set in an alternate orientation. 
     
     
         12 . A panel for use in assembling a fenced-in playing area, the panel has a generally rectangular shape with a horizontal top edge and a horizontal bottom edge and having an upward open vertical slot extending from the top edge adjacent one end and a downward open vertical extending from the bottom edge adjacent an opposite end. 
     
     
         13 . The panel according to  claim 12 , wherein the slots have a length at least half the height of the panel. 
     
     
         14 . The panel according to  claim 12 , wherein the panel includes a recess extending down from the top edge, the recess providing a lowered entry point when the panel is used to form fenced-in playing area. 
     
     
         15 . The panel according to  claim 12 , wherein the panel is configured to assemble with other like panels a Ga-ga pit.