Family Reunion Activities

Fun family reunion activities for indoor and outdoor events. Liven up your family reunion with these activities suitable for all ages.

Age: All ages

No. of players: Large groups

Equipment: Depends on the activity

Time: 10+ minutes

Aim: To enjoy a fantastic family reunion.

Two years ago I attended to a family reunion on my mother's side. It was a wonderful day, meeting relatives I had never even met before, renewing friendships with cousins who had moved away years ago, and recalling sweet childhood memories.

It is a reunion I will never forget for one special reason. It was the last outing my mother was able to attend. One week prior to the reunion she was diagnosed with cancer, and less than two weeks later, she peacefully passed away.

My mother was one of the organisers of the family reunion and spent many months arranging things: invitations, caterers, photo displays, entertainment, activities, etc. I'm so very, very glad she was able to catch up with all of her relatives and enjoy their company one last time. I know that her cousins would have been glad to have spent time with her as well.

So, what kind of activities do you include in a family reunion?

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Family Reunion Fun Ideas

Hold An Outdoors Event

This will certainly depend on the time of year, the weather and the location, but outdoor reunions are perfect for kids. Make sure there is plenty of room for them to run around, and plenty of outdoor family reunion activities for them to enjoy.

Some outside ideas ...

• A backyard barbecue
• A picnic in a local park
• Camping by the river

Outdoor things to do ...

• Hire a musician to play background music
• Jumping castle
• A lolly (candy) hunt is a must!
• Have plenty of outdoor team games and ball games to play such as
Tug-o-war
Cricket
Volleyball
Tunnel ball
Water Slide
Click here for more outdoor games

Hold An Indoors Event

Some indoor ideas ...

• Hire a local church, school or town hall
• Have each family bring along a meat dish, a side dish (e.g. salad), a dessert and drinks to share
• Get caterers in to provide the food - one less stress for you

Indoor things to do ...

• The entertainment could consist of the family talent - find out who are the violinists, guitarists, singers, drummers and enjoy a real talent show! This is one of the best family reunion activities.
• Have plenty of indoor games like
Chinese Whispers
Beetle
The Game (Charades)
Yes No Beans
I Packed My Bag
Taboo
Balloon Volleyball
The Memory Game
Family Reunion Trivia Game
Click here for more indoor family reunion games
• A scavenger hunt is a fun activity to have where the things to be found come from the adults in the room. Click here for fun scavenger hunt ideas
• Family Trivia Night - collect interesting tidbits of information from each family and then enjoy finding out who knows the most with a family trivia game!
• Ask each family to organise an aspect of the reunion:
  
  A team game to play
  A craft suitable for the children to do
  A skit to perform at THE concert
• Hold a concert with skits, jokes, poetry reading, home-grown musical talent, the family magician, group singing and anything else you can think of!
• Make it a themed reunion
  
  Historical dress (what was the dress like of the initial ancestors?)
  Murder mystery party
  Come dressed as your favourite book/movie characters
  Choose a popular decade - 50s, 60s, 70s or 80s and dress appropriately

More Family Reunion Activities

• The family reunion is a time for reminiscing. During your event make sure there is a time for each family to share their favourite childhood memories.
• Get all the families involved in sending you the relevant information you need to put together a family history book which will be a wonderful keepsake for future generations to come. My family has three history books covering the historical roots of three sides of the family. My children love reading about how our ancestors first came to Australia. One ancestor was a spy during the Franco-Prussian War. Another ancestor and his wife, were transported to Australia as convicts. They later became wealthy emancipists, with a number of suburbs, parks, etc. in Sydney eventually being named after them.
• Display an enormous family tree on the wall.
• Ask everyone to bring old photos along and make a photo wall display.
• Make photo placemats for everyone. Create a collage of old photos and then laminate. It makes a special keepsake.
• Display special memorabilia such as old handwritten recipe books, handmade quilts, lace work, etc.
• Design a family T-shirt to have printed for everyone
• Compile a family recipe book with everybody's favourite recipes included
• Hire a photographer and videographer, or ask one of the relatives to record this special event.

I hope these ideas have been helpful to you as you plan your next family reunion. Keep the memories alive for many years to come!

Other Related Family Reunion Activities Pages

Outdoor Games for Family Reunion

Team Games for Family Reunions

Indoor Games for Family Reunions

Ice Breaker Games

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