Learning to throw on the potter's wheel is one of the most memorable hands on team building activities a group can try in the Bay Area, and this lesson happens in a bright community ceramics studio in Pacifica, one block from the beach. Each guest makes two pots on the wheel, shaping bowls, cups or flower pots, and then chooses the glaze for the finished pieces.
The workshop runs up to 2 hours with two projects per guest and experienced instructors, priced at $95 per guest. Any group from 2 to 45 guests books at the same rate, from a small team to a full department. It is great for beginners and intermediates, and the instructor covers the basics of clay before anyone sits down at the wheel.
What's Included
Learning to throw on the potter's wheel is one of the most memorable hands on team building activities a group can try in the Bay Area, and this lesson happens in a bright community ceramics studio in Pacifica, one block from the beach. Each guest makes two pots on the wheel, shaping bowls, cups or flower pots, and then chooses the glaze for the finished pieces.
The workshop runs up to 2 hours with two projects per guest and experienced instructors, priced at $95 per guest. Any group from 2 to 45 guests books at the same rate, from a small team to a full department. It is great for beginners and intermediates, and the instructor covers the basics of clay before anyone sits down at the wheel.
What's Included
- Up to 2 hours of instruction with experienced instructors
- Two projects for every guest
- Clay, firings and glaze
- The service of glazing your work from a choice of 4 dipping glazes
- A call in 3 to 4 weeks when your fired pieces are ready to pick up
What You Will Make
Every guest throws two pots of their own: a bowl, a cup or a flower pot, or a mix of the three. Centering the clay, opening it up and pulling the walls takes a little practice, and the instructors guide each person through it so that everyone finishes with two pieces. After the pottery is made, a color selection of glazes is provided, and the studio glazes the work from a choice of 4 dipping glazes and fires it.
Why It Works for Groups
The wheel is a great equalizer. Senior leaders and new hires wobble their first pot in exactly the same way, and the cheering when someone's bowl finally rises is half the fun. That shared learning curve makes it one of the more genuine team bonding activities for small groups, and it works just as well for corporate team building activities with a full department.
The flexible size range, from 2 to 45 guests, means it can serve as an intimate outing or as one of the more engaging large group team building activities. Planners comparing fun team building activities for adults often like that the session ends with something useful: a bowl for the kitchen, a cup for the desk or a planter for the office. Shape bowls, cups or flower pots, and the choice is entirely up to each guest.
A Studio One Block From the Beach
The studio sits one block from Linda Mar Beach in Pedro Point and just a turn away from Devil's Slide, so the session can anchor a whole coastal outing. Groups can enjoy a hike along the bluff or the beach before or after the lesson, watch the surfers catch waves, and sometimes spot a passing whale. There are restaurants, a brewery and a coffee roaster a block away, and the instructors are happy to recommend a few places during your lesson. The bright, newly renovated space is clean, relaxed and friendly, and the studio welcomes all ages and skill levels.
About the Studio
This women-owned community ceramics studio offers memberships, classes, single-day pottery experiences, workshops and atmospheric firings, with 20 mid-fire dipping glazes on the shelves and a separate atmospheric firing center in San Gregorio for woodfire, soda, raku and pit firing. The team includes experienced wheel throwing, handbuilding and firing instructors who teach private lessons for team building, group celebrations and anyone who wants to try clay for a day. Guests give the studio a 4.9-star rating across 61 reviews and often mention the welcoming atmosphere and kind staff.
Good to Know
- Clay is a fun and messy medium, so wear clothes you are comfortable getting dirty
- The weather in Pacifica varies, so dress in layers
- The clay does not stain and comes out in the wash
- Expect a call in 3 to 4 weeks letting you know your fired pieces are ready
- Pieces are held for up to one month after you are notified, due to space limitations
- For groups larger than 45, the studio's mobile clay team offers separately priced events at your location
Plan Your Wheel Workshop
Share your preferred date and group size to check availability. At $95 per guest with instruction, clay, glaze and firing included, it is team building art that every guest can take home and use.
