Gaga ball rules over on-screen games

KEENE, NH – Children at two Keene Parks have yet another reason to get away from electronic devices and enjoy active play outdoors, thanks to Girl Scout Kara Frost, who earned Girl Scouting's highest honor for her Gaga Pit Project.

Frost, 18, of Keene, was a member of Troop 11305, led by her mother, Thais Frost. She said she has always been into fitness and grew up playing outside, so she wanted to do something to get children outdoors and be active.

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"Because my mom works in a school, I was able to see how much the kids loved the gaga pits, and how much they played in it every single day, and it never got old for them," she said. "They were with their friends; they were running around. They were burning energy. I also work for the Keene Parks and Rec Department, so, I'm in their playgrounds and pools, which is a great outlet for kids to exercise and be outside, but when the pools are closed, I wanted them to also have something else. So, I had the idea of the gaga pits and built two of them in our parks."

For those unfamiliar with the game, gaga ball is fast‑paced, similar to dodgeball, played in an octagonal pit where players hit a soft ball with their hands and are eliminated if it strikes them on or below the knees. The last player standing wins.

Frost built gaga pits in Wheelock Park and the Keene Recreation Center in Keene. To accommodate very young children, she used a lower design with sides made of just two foot-high boards, making it easier to step in and out. She drew on woodworking experience gained from her Girl Scout Silver Award project and a middle school woodworking class. She organized a team of helpers with varying skills, including her father, Jason Frost.

Kara said it was a challenge to meet deadlines and finish the project while leading a busy life in school and with several summer jobs, but she persevered and finished in time.

"The most fulfilling part for me was just helping kids," she said. "I love working with young children. I always have. I teach swim lessons, I teach riding lessons for little kids, so anything that is benefiting children was more than enough for me."

Frost said she has been a Girl Scout from the beginning.

"I basically began before I was even born," she said. "My mom worked in the Girl Scout office, so I was always in the office, and then as soon as I hit kindergarten, I joined a Daisy troop."

She knew at a young age she wanted to achieve the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards, determined to reach those goals and help people.

"Not every girl gets to do that," she said, "so, I really wanted to take advantage of that opportunity to be able to do something like that."

Over her 13 years in Girl Scouts, Frost recalls the fun of her Brownie years, selling cookies, traveling, camping, and making memories with her Girl Scout troopmates.

Now a freshman at the University of New Hampshire, Frost is studying animal science on the pre-veterinary track. She dreams of a mixed-animal practice, taking care of small and large animals, perhaps with a farm at her own home.

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Gold Award Girl Scouts don't just change the world for the better, they change it for good. The Gold Award is earned by girls in grades 9–12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership in developing sustainable solutions to local, national, and global challenges. Since 1912, Girl Scouts have answered the call to drive lasting, impactful change. They earn college scholarships, demonstrate high educational and career outcomes, and are active in their communities.

Kara Frost has answered the call to drive lasting, impactful change, and her Gold Award is a testament to her remarkable dedication to improving her community and the world.

About the Girl Scout Gold Award

•Gold Award Girl Scouts on average spend one to two years on their project.

•A Gold Award project must be sustainable after the girl's involvement ends.

•The average age of Gold Award Girl Scouts is 17.

•Since 1916, more than 1 million girls have earned the Gold Award or its equivalent.

•Gold Award Girl Scouts are entitled to enlist at a higher pay grade when they join the military.

•University research indicates that noting you are a Gold Award Girl Scout on a college application is influential in the admissions decision-making process.

•Fourteen young women from New Hampshire and Vermont earned their Gold Award so far in the 2025-2026 membership year as part of Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains.

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable

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We are Girl Scouts of the USA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building girls of courage, confidence, and character.

Girl Scouts discover who they are, tap into the power inside them, and build the confidence to let it shine. Through programs from coast to coast and overseas, girls of all backgrounds and abilities come as they are to explore their passions, meet new challenges, and develop hands-on skills. They find their strengths in science labs and on hiking trails, at cookie booths and in front of city councils. Backed by millions of alums and a network of dedicated adult volunteers and mentors, Girl Scouts drive change to make the world a better place. Along the way, they uncover the tools they need to lead with joy, on their own terms. Join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate.

Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains serves girls throughout New Hampshire and Vermont through volunteer-run troops, events, and virtual programs. Visit www.girlscoutsgwm.org to learn more.