Things to Do in Leander

Across four compact, outdoor fields, goggled paintballers stealthily tread behind industrial-sized wooden spools and large inflated obstacles as candy-colored paintballs zip by. Teams of five to seven shooters might start by storming the citadel on Fort Field. After conquering the blockhouse through strategy and persistence, they can advance on the Hyperball field for a fast-paced game that relies more on reaction than strategy and teamwork. The tight quarters of the Spools field surround huge wooden spools left behind by giant seamstresses, whereas the Airball field spreads blue and red inflatables across a large swath of green grass to slow the action down. Teams can find respite between matches under the covered staging areas and refuel with snacks and beverages.

Aside from a coat of green paint on the outside, Capitol City Crawler’s fleet of eco-friendly buses don’t look like all that different from other buses on the road. Look inside, though, and you’ll find what is essentially a club on wheels. There’s seating for 24 passengers, and the seats are arranged against the walls so there’s plenty of room for dancing, too. Each bus comes equipped with a bar, a thumping sound system, LED lighting, and an inflatable doorman. The buses are popular for bachelor and bachelorette parties, but they’re also suitable for kids’ birthday parties, brewery tours, and wine-tasting tours in the Hill Country.

PaintMe Pottery Studio hosts pottery classes, deals in original creations, and takes orders for custom clayware. Many studios let guests paint prefabricated items, but the staff at PaintMe provide clay and instruction for customers to create their own pieces. They then assist in firing the original artworks in a kiln, before returning them to their creators for painting.

A public extension of The Griffin School, an arts-focused college-prep high school, Studio Griffin immerses students of all ages in multidisciplinary-arts education and art-based events. Expansive studios filled with easels and stacks of storage boxes host classes of children, teenagers, and working adults as they hone skills in painting, sculpting, and tricking still lifes into moving. Art camps instill basic skills in adolescents and teens during a three-week intensive course. The studio also hosts communal Art+Wine Nights, where guests fashion paintings inspired by a historic or famous piece of art and lubricate their creative chops with wine and other libations.