Team Activities in Grand Rapids

Get out of the office or off the meeting floor to recharge and reconnect your team. Whether your objective is strengthening relationships, building trust or just having fun, Grand Rapids offers all sorts of impactful experiences that will inspire and engage your people. Here are some of our most popular team activities:

Make Scents

Create a signature scent at The Aroma Labs, which guides you through the process of blending fragrances to create one that’s truly you. Then you’ll infuse your custom scent into a product to take home and enjoy – choose from a perfume, room spray, shaving cream, bath fizz, hand sanitizer and more. Groups of six or more enjoy exclusive discounts.

If a candle is more your team’s style, the scent specialists at Wax Poetic will help you blend fragrance oils for infusion into a coconut-apricot wax candle you’ll make yourself. This experience is perfect for groups of 15 or more, who can also make bath and body products, sprays and reed diffusers.

Paint & Sip

Unleash your inner Picasso at Brush Studio, a creative space that offers all sorts of fun options for groups – open/freestyle painting, paint your boss/co-worker, paint your pet, a musical chairs paint party, art battles and more. Talented artists will guide you through the process while you enjoy selections from the bar and an amazing playlist.

Play A Game

Up for a little friendly competition? BattleGR Tactical Games offers laser tag, archery tag, axe throwing, cornhole, volleyball, basketball and “football bowling” games for groups, all intended to strengthen the bond between colleagues. The Fowling Warehouse extends the football bowling concept to the next level, with space for up to 650 people and two fully stocked bars.

Woodrows DuckPin Bowling, in downtown GR’s Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, can accommodate groups up to 40, 80 or 200, for a fun spin on traditional bowling – smaller balls without finger holes, shorter and lighter pins, and three rolls per frame instead of two. Woodrows also offers bar service. So does Gimme’s Par & Grill, which will keep groups of 20 or more busy on the world’s greatest golf courses, courtesy of state-of-the-art golf simulators. Hockey, soccer and other games are available, too, and Gimme’s features a delicious food menu.

You’ll also find golf simulators at Pickle & Pin, along with three indoor, regulation-size pickleball courts, which groups can rent out for conventional games or a glow pickleball party under UV lights. Groups can enjoy snacks and a wide selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and have food delivered from nearby restaurants.

Have Some Laughs

Treat your team to a private stand-up comedy show at The Comedy Project, a comedy theater and moonshine bar in the city’s vibrant West Leonard business district. You’ll enjoy full use of the theater and its cool reception space plus drinks and, if you like, catered food. The Comedy Project also offers entertaining, effective workshops in team building, public speaking, group communication and innovation for groups of 10-50 people.

Get Cooking

The Local Epicurean, an artisanal pasta shop in GR’s Uptown neighborhood, offers private cooking classes for two to 40 people. Learn to make pasta and simple sauces, a classic Roman breakfast, seasonal three-course menus, wine & beverage pairings, and more. Eat what you make! Click here for more cooking classes.

Get Out(doors)

Grand Rapids has been ranked America’s #3 Most Outdoor-Friendly City, and we offer all sorts of ways to explore our natural wonders. Rent kayaks, canoes and/or paddleboards for group excursions on local waterways, including the Grand River that runs through downtown GR. Rent bikes to traverse hundreds of miles of paved and mountain biking trails. Charter a fishing boat for a day of adventure on the Grand River or Lake Michigan. Lead your team to new heights at TreeRunner Adventure Park, which caters to groups of up to 100 people with 12 zip lines and 60+ aerial obstacles ranging from beginner to advanced difficulty.

Mix Drinks

What better place to learn the art of mixology than America’s Craft Beverage Capital? Long Road Distillers and New Holland Brewing - The Knickerbocker, both of which create a wide variety of artisan spirits, will teach your team how to blend spirits with the skill and panache of their talented bartenders. Cocktail classes are also offered at San Chez, a downtown GR tapas bar and restaurant known for its creative house-made cocktails.

Take a Brews Cruise

Discover the secrets of Beer City USA on a guided tour of local breweries – both Grand Rapids Beer Tours and Tours Around Michigan offer public and customizable private tours. Tours Around Michigan focuses on walking tours while Grand Rapids Beer Tours offers a six-passenger tour van and a 15-person Party Pedaler, each featuring the services of a trained guide. Great Lakes Pub Cruiser can accommodate groups up to 50 with multiple pedal-powered party bikes. 

Break Something

Groups can let out their frustrations at Break Room Therapy, a “rage room” 15 minutes from downtown GR. Two team members at a time will enter the room and use such tools as a baseball bat, hammer and crowbar to smash a wide variety of items – glasses, mugs, printers, TVs and more. It’s a great way to make a clean break from past challenges and move forward!

Root for the Home Team

Come together to cheer for the city’s pro sports teams. The Grand Rapids Griffins, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings, play hockey in downtown GR’s Van Andel Arena from October-April – and they treat groups of 10 or more to special pricing, exclusive experiences and a ton of fun. Group packages for 10 or more are also available with the Grand Rapids Gold basketball team (playing November-March) and Grand Rapids Rise women’s volleyball team (January-May), also in Van Andel Arena. The West Michigan Whitecaps baseball team, our High-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, offer exclusive benefits for groups of 20 or more – including preferred seating in beautiful LMCU Ballpark, a 10-minute drive from downtown Grand Rapids. The Whitecaps play from April-October.

Make Merry

Embrace the spirit of the year-end holiday season at the Christkindl Markt, a European-style Christmas village featuring 60+ artisan gift and food vendors, entertainment and festive fun on the grounds of the Grand Rapids Downtown Market. Six Alpenglobes – heated and enclosed shelters surrounded by panoramic Markt views – each seat up to eight team members and can be reserved for three-hour slots, during which you’ll enjoy a dedicated attendant for pre-ordered food and beverage options. You can also host a friendly (and frosty) curling competition at the Markt.

Lend a Hand

Grand Rapids offers all sorts of volunteer opportunities for teams that want to make a difference. One of the most popular is Kids’ Food Basket, which exists to increase access to healthy food for children and families in West Michigan. Groups can volunteer to decorate supper sacks, prepare and pack meals, and more. You’ll make an immediate impact on local lives. For longer-term impact, consider a sustainability-focused volunteer project.