Team building activities are a great way to enjoy time together with your co-workers outside of your day-to-day work responsibilities. Everyone gets to cut loose, have some fun outside the office and get to know each other a little bit better.
But finding something that a diverse group of people will actually enjoy doing can be a headache. You don’t want your office event to turn into a party from The Office. Not who you want to be:
At Sift, we feel ya. Here are 10 ideas for team building events in the Metro Detroit area that our team is “testing” for ourselves, and that your team will actually enjoy too!
1. Fowling
Fowling is one part football, one part bowling and one part beer pong. Teams or individuals face off throwing a football to try and knock over their opponents’ bowling pins. While it sounds easy, finishing off that final pin can be quite a challenge. And be sure to guard your pins with your life, since a wayward football from another game hitting your pins does count.
The best part about fowling is that, chances are, nobody will already be an expert. It also makes a great winter choice – active, but inside, so your team can stay warm. A little nervous about your aim? Don’t worry, the generous bar (with great prices) can take care of that. Good luck getting a Bonk (which is an actual thing in this game)!
Details
Fowling is located inside an awesome warehouse in Hamtramck, Michigan. If you see a whole bunch of graffitied school busses, you’re in the right place.
Website: www.fowlingwarehouse.com/
Address: 3901 Christopher St, Detroit, MI 48211
2. Kart racing
This is the Motor City, so what better way to have some fun than by burning some rubber? Kart2Kart in Sterling Heights has a great facility to indulge in speed. Don’t let the size of the Karts fool you, these things are racing quality and go up to 35 mph.
Your team will have a blast drifting around corners, and at the end of every race detailed reports let you know who had the fastest lap, highest speed, and who wasn't quite the racer they thought they were.
Details
Website: http://www.kart2kart.com/
Address: 42705 Van Dyke Ave, Sterling Heights, MI 48314
3. Axe throwing
Let loose your inner lumberjack! Detroit Axe, located in Ferndale, is a great out-of-the-box location for you and your colleagues to try something new (and just a tad dangerous) together. You’ll have a dedicated axe-master to help you get a *handle* on the proper way to throw an axe. Enjoy some friendly competition, round-robin-style, and see who reigns supreme. There is also a bar, but you might want to save the brews for after the last axe is thrown!
Details
Website: https://detroitaxe.com/
Address: 344 W Nine Mile Rd, Ferndale, MI 48220
4. Trampoline emporium
Okay, so it's really called AirTime. Whatever you call it, a warehouse-sized trampoline experience is a certified good time. Your team can bounce around in the general trampoline area, or get adventurous and try their luck at front flips and backflips into pits of foam blocks.
Want some friendly competition? How about a basketball dunking contest? The real treat is the trampoline dodgeball where you can attempt to dodge off the walls like Neo in The Matrix (“attempt” being the key term here).
Details
Website: http://airtimetrampoline.com/
AirTime has four locations in the metro-area: Canton, Shelby, Novi, and Troy.
5. Cooking class at Eastern Market
Eastern Market is famous for being one of the largest and oldest public markets in the nation, but did you know they also have an incubator kitchen? The Eastern Market Community Kitchen is available to food startups looking for a place to build out their business, and now you and your team can take a private cooking class there too! The Sift team recently visited the kitchen and learned how to make 4 different kinds of fresh pasta and sauces. A delicious and collaborative adventure that we highly recommend!
Details
Contact: asummers@easternmarket.org
Address: 2934 Russell St, Detroit, MI 48207
