Things to Do in Sioux Falls

Swiss army knives are famed for the many vital tools hidden in the nooks and crannies of their surprisingly small exterior; Star Performance Complex takes a similar approach to educating kids in fitness. Their instructors offer swimming, gymnastics, tae kwon do, and dance lessons to tykes who enjoy competitive athleticism. They also provide day and night care that combines structured activity with open play in their fun gyms, which feature not only gymnastics equipment but inflatable play houses. Other teachers focus on team sports, training kids to work together in softball, soccer, and cheer. All of this – excepting the swim lessons – takes place in their single, colorful facility full of squeaky hardwood, soft mats, and all the equipment a kids needs to build a strong body.

The Ballroom is the dancing brain baby of Denise Aamlid, who graduated with a dance minor in 1981 and has been helping folks two-step their way through life ever since. Friday-night open dances include 20 minutes of instruction on the dance style of the week, anything from swing and the cha-cha to the tango and waltz. Following the introductory lesson, you and your partner will dance to handpicked tunes for an hour and a half, providing a full night of lively dancing fun. Partners don't change at Friday-night open dances, so you won't have to worry about wrapping your arms around the neighborhood garbage can filled with baby raccoons. The card you'll get with this Groupon can be used by more than one person; it allows both you and a partner to get in for the reduced rate. Check the schedule to find a date that works for you.

Landshark Scuba is one of South Dakota's only Professional Association of Diving Instructors–certified centers; the facility has been educating landlocked locals in the diving arts since 2005. With the Discover Scuba class ($35), novice divers will be introduced to scuba diving within the safe and relatively shark-free confines of Landshark's pool (a $5.35 pool fee is included with this deal). Diving basics will be covered by Landshark's staff of friendly and experienced masters of maritime mobility. Should you choose to pursue further diving instruction at Landshark, credit from this beginner's class will count towards your PADI Open Water certification.

Four Midwestern locations bear the Crossfire Paintball name, together covering more than 200 acres of natural wooded terrain and open battlefields peppered with logs and drain-pipe bunkers. During typical high-speed, team-based battles, soldiers splat each other with watercolor-tipped spears and biodegradable balls filled with nontoxic paint as they attempt to capture the enemy's flag. Just as games for small groups and birthday or bachelor parties boost camaraderie among friends, corporate outings foster vital interoffice skills such as problem solving, quick thinking, and coordinating ties with colorful shirt stains.

At County Fair Fun Company, kids excitedly tackle action-filled games and rides, then safely ricochet off the inflated surfaces of Technicolor bounce houses. A _Dora the Explorer_–themed inflatable packs slides, tropical trees, and huts into a cushy, educational wonderland, and inside a bounce castle, little ones can pretend they're inside one of King Arthur’s legendary bounce castles. Setting foot on solid ground, tykes make their way to the bumper-car arena, where circular vehicles offer easy steering, each crash eliciting shouts and laughter from drivers. Between bumper demolition derbies, children wander the labyrinthine tunnels and slides of County Fair's padded play dome, navigating tricky rolling platforms and shaky rope bridges to find a safe spot to exchange stock tips. Video games exercise hand-eye coordination for both kids and grownups, who can also lounge in County Fair's beer garden and sip on potent potables for an additional cost.

When the Skyforce joined the Continental Basketball Association in 1989, it became the city of Sioux Falls's first-ever professional-sports organization. It wasn't until 1994 that the Skyforce truly established itself as a powerhouse, earning its first playoff berth to set off a string of six consecutive postseason appearances—highlighted by a CBA championship in 1995–96.

Over the next decade, the Skyforce remained a perennial playoff contender, including during a brief stint as part of the International Basketball League in 2001. The team won its second CBA title in 2005–06, then promptly stuffed its trophies and the entire Sioux Falls Arena into a carry-on suitcase for a move to the NBA Developmental League. Since the switch, the Skyforce has helped launch the careers of a dozen NBA players, bringing the organization's total to more than 40.