Make time for your friends

5 fun things to do
in Chicago with friends

Make a plan everyone can get excited about. Explore five group activities in Chicago, starting with a hands-on pottery class. Catch up, share a few laughs, and try something new with your favorite people.

Explore the five ideas

Three adults shaping clay by hand at a shared studio table — group activities in Chicago

Your next get-together starts here

Five things to do
in Chicago with friends

Explore group activities in Chicago that give you something new to try and plenty to talk about. Pick a plan, bring your friends, and make time for each other.

Friends shaping and decorating clay at shared studio tables — fun things to do with friends in Chicago — A little clay. Plenty of laughs.

Catch up while you create

Make pottery.
Make time for each other.

Pottery Studio 1

Looking for things to do in Chicago with friends? Try the pottery wheel and hand-building with an instructor—no experience needed. Bring adult friends, plan a kids’ get-together, or create alongside other families.

Catch up, share ideas, and make your own keepsakes. Add painting for color; your pieces stay for firing, and we’ll let you know when they’re ready for pickup.

Beginner friendly Kids, adults & families

1 E Huron St, Chicago, IL 60611 Also in Lakeview & West Loop Find your group workshop

Good friends. A fresh plan.

More things to do
in Chicago with friends

Explore group activities in Chicago for adult friends and families with kids ages 8 and up. Pick your favorite and check the activity details before booking.

Four friends making fresh fettuccine together — group activities in Chicago

02* Private pasta-making class

Wrigley Field area

Make pasta. Make a night of it.

Traveling Spoon · Cooking with Chef Rakhi

Swap your usual dinner plans for fresh pasta made together. Roll dough, cut fettuccine, and prepare a meal with a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef in her Chicago home. Share the cooking, then sit down and enjoy what you made. Adults and kids ages 8 and up can join in.

$134.16 per adult

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$129 plus a 4% processing fee. Minimum booking: $516 before the fee. Children ages 5–11 receive 50% off, subject to the minimum booking charge. Confirm your group’s total before booking.

Private home near Wrigley Field, Chicago. Exact address provided after booking.

reservations@travelingspoon.com

Request your preferred menu through Traveling Spoon.

Private class details

About 2.5–3 hours · By reservation

Request the Italian pasta menu when booking. Share children’s ages and any dietary needs so the chef can plan suitable tasks for your group.

Good food tastes even better with friends. travelingspoon.com · Host: Rakhi, Chicago

03* Private scavenger hunt

Navy Pier

Turn a walk into an adventure.

Watson Adventures · Navy Pier Pressure Scavenger Hunt

Looking for fun things to do with friends in Chicago? Make Navy Pier your game board. Follow clues, spot unusual details, and put your heads together to solve the next question. Choose the kids-and-adults version so friends of all ages, including children 8 and up, can work as a team.

From $650 per private hunt

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Starting rates: $650 on weekends or $750 on weekdays. For six participants, that works out to about $108.33 or $125 per person. Request a quote for your group’s date and size.

Navy Pier, 600 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

(877) 946-4868

Contact Watson Adventures for a private-hunt quote.

Private hunt details

By reservation · Kids and adults play together

This version is recommended for ages 7 and up. Confirm the meeting point, start time, and game length with the organizer.

More clues. More laughs. One shared adventure. watsonadventures.com · Navy Pier Pressure Scavenger Hunt for Kids

Adults and children playing WhirlyBall in bumper cars — fun things to do with friends in Chicago

04* Private WhirlyBall game

Chicago · Webster Avenue

Team up. Scoop. Score.

WhirlyBall Chicago

Steer your own bumper car, scoop up the ball, and help your team score. Share a little friendly competition with adult friends or kids ages 8 and up—no experience needed. Every player must be at least 54 inches (137 cm) tall.

$110 each for five players

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Calculated for five players sharing two hours of private court time at $275 per hour: $550 total before taxes and service fees. Rates are per court, so the cost per person changes with your group size.

1825 W Webster Ave, Chicago, IL 60614

(773) 486-7777

reservations@whirlyball.com

Private game details

2 hours · Minimum 4 players · By reservation

Up to 10 players can play at once. Reserved time includes a rules and safety briefing. For groups with anyone under 21, plan to finish before 7 p.m. Confirm availability and your total when booking.

A little friendly competition. Plenty of laughs. whirlyball.com/chicago

A guide sharing photography tips with adults and teens in a park in Chicago — group activities in Chicago

05* Private nature photo walk

Chicago · Custom route

See the city with fresh eyes.

Tour Through A Lens

Slow down, catch up, and notice the little things. Head out with a photographer guide to explore light, reflections, and the city’s natural details. Adults and kids ages 8 and up can compare their photos and discover how differently everyone sees the same scene.

$137.50 each for four adults

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$550 total: $420 for the first two guests, plus $65 for each additional adult. Additional children ages 5–15 are $35 each. Transportation, meals, and camera equipment are not included.

Chicago parks and lakefront. Route and meeting point arranged with your guide.

(312) 291-1064

info@tourthroughalens.com

Private photo walk details

5 hours · Private, custom tour · By reservation

Request a nature-focused route with an easy pace and stops for your group. Children are welcome with an adult; the preferred minimum age is 5. Agree on walking distance and equipment before booking.

Fresh air, good company, and a new perspective. tourthroughalens.com/tours/half-day-tour/

Prices reflect the formats, booking providers, and group sizes shown. Per-person estimates change with your group’s size and ages. Confirm availability, participation requirements, taxes, fees, and what’s included before booking.
* AI-generated images illustrate the activities and do not show the actual venues.

Two private pottery workshops

Creative group activities
in Chicago

Make time for fun things to do with friends in Chicago. Try a two-hour private pottery workshop with wheel throwing, hand-building, and optional painting.

2 hours

Two participants shaping clay mugs at a studio table — group activities in Chicago — Your idea, shaped by hand.

Pottery wheel & hand-building

Private pottery
workshop

Try the pottery wheel and hand-building with an instructor’s guidance. Shape your own bowl, mug, or keepsake while you chat and share ideas. This two-hour private workshop focuses on making and shaping clay; painting is not included.

$100 / person

Minimum booking: $500.

Your pottery workshop includes

A welcome and introduction for your group
Your choice of project: follow a sample or try your own idea
Step-by-step pottery wheel and hand-building instruction
Time to shape your piece and add clay details

Book pottery for your group

2 hours

A woman painting a clay bowl blue beside a smiling man — things to do in Chicago with friends — Shape it. Paint it. Make it yours.

Pottery wheel, hand-building & painting

Private pottery
& painting workshop

Start with the same pottery wheel and hand-building experience, then paint your piece with colors and designs you choose. Your instructor guides both the clay work and painting within the two-hour private session. Share ideas with your friends and make every piece your own.

$130 / person

Minimum booking: $500.

Your pottery & painting workshop includes