Getting a group onto the pottery wheel is one of the most creative team building activities in the San Francisco Bay Area. In this two-hour private event, co-workers or friends learn the basics of wheel throwing together and make functional pieces such as bowls, mugs, tumblers and vases, which the studio then glazes and fires for them.
The event is designed for groups of 6 to 50 guests, and no clay experience is needed. It takes place in a community pottery studio in Potrero Hill, San Francisco, with 53 wheels and a relaxed, casual atmosphere. Guests are welcome to bring their own drinks.
What's Included
- A two-hour private wheel-throwing session for your group
- A wheel-throwing demo from a studio instructor
- A group
Getting a group onto the pottery wheel is one of the most creative team building activities in the San Francisco Bay Area. In this two-hour private event, co-workers or friends learn the basics of wheel throwing together and make functional pieces such as bowls, mugs, tumblers and vases, which the studio then glazes and fires for them.
The event is designed for groups of 6 to 50 guests, and no clay experience is needed. It takes place in a community pottery studio in Potrero Hill, San Francisco, with 53 wheels and a relaxed, casual atmosphere. Guests are welcome to bring their own drinks.
What's Included
- A two-hour private wheel-throwing session for your group
- A wheel-throwing demo from a studio instructor
- A group throwing activity to warm up together
- Time on the wheel for every guest to make their own pieces
- Clay, tools and use of the pottery wheels
- Free add-on options: Wheel-throwing Olympics and group throwing
- Each guest keeps their two favorite pieces
- Trimming, glazing and firing by the studio team
How the Session Runs
- Arrive, settle in and meet your instructor
- Watch a wheel-throwing demo covering the basic techniques
- Try a group throwing activity to get comfortable with the clay
- Spend the rest of the session making your own bowls, mugs, tumblers or vases
- Pick your two favorite pieces to keep and leave the finishing to the studio
Why It Works for Groups
The wheel is a great equalizer: nobody arrives as an expert, everyone gets a little muddy, and the whole room cheers when a lopsided cylinder finally turns into a bowl. That shared learning curve makes this one of the most memorable hands on team building activities for teams who spend most of their week at a desk. Clay also enhances concentration, creativity and mindfulness, which makes the session a welcome break in a busy quarter.
For managers comparing corporate team building activities, it is easy to plan: a fixed price, a weekday daytime window and everything provided. The free Wheel-throwing Olympics option adds a playful, competitive streak for groups that want it, so this works as one of the more fun team building activities for adults without anyone having to perform on stage.
With room for up to 50 guests it also works as one of the more flexible large group team building activities and a natural pick for offsite team building activities when a company wants to get people away from their screens for an afternoon.
Team and private events are designed to be creative, casual and a lot of fun, and the facilities can host up to 50 people. Events run Monday through Friday between 10:30am and 3:30pm, and the Potrero Hill studio may be able to host an evening event starting no later than 6 PM on request.
After the Event
Guests do not need to wait around for the kiln. The studio team trims, glazes and fires the work, which typically takes four to six weeks, and then sends an email when everything is ready for pickup. Finished pieces are dishwasher safe, microwave safe and food safe, so the mugs and bowls a team makes can go straight into daily use. Shipping is not offered, so plan on a local pickup.
About the Studio
The host runs community pottery and woodworking studios in San Francisco, Oakland and San Mateo, built around a shared space where people connect through art, learning and making with their hands. The original studio was founded in Potrero Hill in 2018 and holds a 4.8-star rating from 64 reviews: a 7,000 square foot neighborhood pottery studio with 53 wheels, two slab rollers, two extruders, 35 dipping glazes, a spray booth, 7 kilns, a slip casting station, a glaze mixing room and plenty of natural light. The SoMa studio joins a ceramic studio with a woodshop, so a group can go from throwing on the wheel to turning on the lathe. The teaching approach focuses on simplicity, relaxed instruction and experimentation.
Booking Details
- Every booking includes at least 6 guests; reach out about smaller parties
- Book at least 48 hours in advance
- Once the date, time and headcount are confirmed, a 20% deposit reserves the event and goes toward the final cost
- The deposit is refundable up to two weeks before the event and can be moved to a new date up to 48 hours before
- The remaining balance is paid before the event starts
- Headcount changes are due at least 48 hours ahead; guests added on the day without that notice carry an extra fee
Plan Your Wheel Event
Share your preferred weekday, start time and headcount to check availability. With clay, tools, instruction, glazing and firing included, every guest goes home with two pieces they threw themselves and a good story about the first time they sat at a pottery wheel.
