fun 12 TEAM BUILDING IDEAS Break the ice with these ideal Chicago spots for team building and bonding. By Amber Gibson HELPING HANDS Create meaningful memories with colleagues while doing good. Groups of up to 120 can do the work of Santa’s elves by sorting gifts for low-income children with Cradles to Crayons . cradlestocrayons.org Teams of up to 30 can volunteer at the Greater Chicago Food Depository warehouse, repacking and labeling food. chicagosfoodbank.org No construction experience is needed to build homes with Habitat for Humanity Chicago . habitatchicago.org Get your hands dirty with City Farm Chicago , where volunteer opportunities are customized for each group and season. cityfarmchicago.org After an orientation, volunteer as a social host or driver with Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly or socialize with seniors at a weekly coffee club. littlebrothers.org Chicago Cares organizes volunteer opportunities with a wide variety of community and nonprofit partners, based on group interests and size. chicagocares.org AceBounce 1 Punch Bowl Social is a huge guests. Refuel between games with garlicky cheese sticks, bao, and sliders. adult fun house in the Fulton Market District, offering everything from ping-pong and pool to bowling and private karaoke. Pass shareable plates like roasted chicken quesadillas and hummus. 6 Choose from bowling or bocce accompanied by Italian-American comfort food at Pinstripes on the Chicago River. The flexible ballroom seats up to 220 people, so when work is done it’s time to play. 2 Lively gamemasters host social THIS PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM: RANVESTEL PHOTOGRAPHIC; LUCKY STRIKE SOCIAL; FACING PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM: WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL; ADAM ALEXANDER PHOTOGRAPHY (2 PHOTOS) darts tournaments for groups of up to 500 at Flight Club . Take aim between bites of yuzu guacamole, tandoori chicken skewers, and pulled pork flatbread. 7 Everyone is outside their corporate comfort zone when they’re strapped into WhirlyBall bumper cars, where the fast-paced game is a cross between lacrosse, basketball, and hockey. There’s laser tag and shuffleboard, too. 3 Book a cabana party at Royal Palms Shuffleboard Chicago for groups of 10 or more, where the tropical drinks, DJs, roof deck, and 11 regulation-size shuffleboard courts ignite a competitive spirit. 8 Lucky Strike Social at Wrigleyville feels like a carnival for grown-ups, with 100 electronic gaming systems, eight bowling lanes, billiards, ping-pong, and high-tech DJ and AV capabilities, paired with gastropub fare. 4 Hurl your stresses away at BATL– 5 AceBounce is a ping-pong The Backyard Axe Throwing League in Portage Park. Tailored group packages include an axe throwing coach, private lanes, and flexible food options. 9 Choose from five different immersive adventures, with themes like The Heist and Prison Break, at The Escape Game Chicago . The challenging and fun games make for great team building experiences. playground, with 16 tables (there’s even beer pong) and live DJs for up to 550 10 Small batch, family-owned KOVAL distillery offers cocktail classes and fascinating whiskey workshops. Or arrange for a private catered tour that includes tastings of a variety of organic spirits, including gin, whiskey, and infused liqueurs. 11 For more than 20 years, Windy Lucky Strike Social at Wrigleyville 12 Choose from an art and City Fieldhouse has been creating custom team building activities, including citywide scavenger hunts, Olympic challenges, and company picnics, for groups of all sizes. architecture challenge, adventure hunts and races, culinary events, or many other programs from Corporate Events Interactive , an industry leader in making corporate meetings fun since 1987. 19
Chicago Meeting Professionals Guide 2020: Page 19
