Want to jazz up your next spouse program? Ditch the traditional museum or theater tours and consider one of these fun and interactive alternatives:

ATLANTA
The Foundation for Hospital Art (www.hospitalart.com ) — Looking for an activity that lets guests give back? With the Foundation for Hospital Art’s PaintFests, guests paint pre-drawn, color-coded designs to create paintings, wall murals and ceiling tiles. The artwork is then touched up and donated to hospitals on the sponsor’s behalf to help liven up the hospitals’ walls to brighten the facility for patients. No artistic experience necessary. Teams typically paint in groups of 12 and the PaintFests last between 90 minutes and two hours.

SAN DIEGO
Sarah’s Smash Shack (www.smashshack.com ) — Ever feel like you could just break something? At this downtown San Diego shop, people come in to do just that — seriously! Guests are outfitted with safety gear and goggles and choose from a variety of items such as vases, dishes and glasses, and are then given free rein to smash them at will in a specially designed “break room.” Talk about a stress reliever. Guests can even plug in MP3 players or iPods, write on the items with markers before they’re broken or bring in photos or artwork that can be placed on the wall to use as a target. The resulting broken bits are then recycled through mosaic art programs. The venue holds up to 60 guests.

ASHEVILLE, NC
Chef's Challenge — Perfect for cooks and “Iron Chef” fans alike, this interactive culinary activity puts guests in charge of making the meal. Guests are first outfitted with aprons logoed with show names or humorous statements like “Master Fire Starter,” and are given a general recipe to follow and must incorporate a surprise ingredient — like chocolate — into the dish. The food is then cooked and served to the group with wine. Professional chefs taste the dishes and select a winner, who receives a prize such as a spa gift certificate or iPod.

Sources: Kurt Bjorkman, President, Destination Services San Diego; Susan Henderson, President and CEO, Atlanta Arrangements; Melissa Murray, President,Mosaix Group