{"id":7055,"date":"2014-05-06T16:32:51","date_gmt":"2014-05-06T16:32:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=7055"},"modified":"2019-09-12T15:30:33","modified_gmt":"2019-09-12T19:30:33","slug":"30-activities-games-ideas-for-family-reunion-fun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/30-activities-games-ideas-for-family-reunion-fun.html","title":{"rendered":"The 30 Best Family Reunion Games, Activities, & Ideas"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: In this blog post, Mary Harrell-Sesniak presents 30 family reunion ideas to help make your next family reunion a great success and ensure that everyone has a fun and memorable time. Mary is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background.<\/em><\/p>\n

Family reunions are great opportunities for genealogists: a chance to meet relatives, share heirlooms, and hear\u2014and record\u2014family stories. They are also events for everyone to enjoy and have a lot of fun! There are so many activities and games to play at a family reunion for adults and kids!<\/p>\n

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Photo: Pershing family reunion, Idlewild Park, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, 8 September 1923. Credit: Eli R. Pershing; Library of Congress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Whether your family reunion is to be held at someone\u2019s home, a historical site, a tourist attraction (such as DisneyWorld) or on a cruise ship, you\u2019ll want to engage children and adult attendees in memorable activities.<\/p>\n

The possibilities are endless, but if you can\u2019t think of any fun family reunion ideas, try these timeless favorites. Below are some of the top activities and games for family reunions that all ages can enjoy.<\/p>\n

1) Cooking contests:<\/strong> Whether you challenge each family with a chili cook-off or an old-fashioned pie eating contest, these reunion ideas are a hit young or old.<\/p>\n

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Photo: cakes and pies at a family reunion in Mayodan, North Carolina. Credit: Carol M. Highsmith; Library of Congress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2) Family diary and letter reading:<\/strong> Take turns reading inspirational (or juicy) passages of old family diaries and letters. This is one of the most fun family reunion games for adults.<\/p>\n

3) Family bingo:<\/strong> Instead of numbers, make up cards identifying ancestors or historical facts for a fun twist to standard reunion games.<\/p>\n

4) Family feuds:<\/strong> Pit one family against another, whether by playing \u201ctug of war\u201d or by engaging teams in a version of the TV show.<\/p>\n

5) Family food and cookbooks:<\/strong> Serve Grandma\u2019s favorite pie, or dishes from earlier reunions. Compile the recipes into a heritage cookbook.<\/p>\n

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Photo: a homesteader and his children eating barbeque at the Pie Town, New Mexico, fair c.1940. Credit: Russell Lee; Library of Congress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6) Tell family stories:<\/strong> This works well around a campfire or by candlelight\u2014especially if there are any family ghost stories.<\/p>\n

7) Family trivial pursuit:<\/strong> Everyone submits unusual or unknown facts about themselves that are read aloud without identifying the family member. Teams compete against each other\u2014and to get the ideas flowing, create categories such as: \u201cWhat I did while visiting my grandparents\u201d; \u201cHow I got into trouble\u201d; \u201cLove and marriage\u201d; \u201cOh my gosh\u201d; \u201cHome town trivia\u201d; \u201cVeterans\u201d; \u201cWhen and where\u201d; and \u201cMy funniest or most embarrassing moment.\u201d These fun games to play at family reunions will get the entire party entertained and engaged.<\/p>\n

8) Fashion shows and hat parades:<\/strong> Supply hats and clothing from historical periods for children to play dress-up. The more unusual they are the better. Each participant wears a badge that says on the outside \u201cWho am I?\u201d and, when flipped over, identifies the ancestor or time period. The child gets a point if they fooled the guesser, and the adult guesser gets a point for a correct answer. Have participation prizes for the children and a separate grand prize for the adult with the highest score.<\/p>\n

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Photo: First Lady Grace Coolidge and children dressed in colonial clothing, White House, Washington, D.C. (1923-1929). Credit: Harris & Ewing; Library of Congress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

9) Family field trips:<\/strong> Take caravans to see places of family interest. Use cars, busses or even arrange a hay ride. Your relatives will love walking in the steps of their ancestors.<\/p>\n

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Photo: young driver in an old car at a family reunion in North Carolina. Credit: Carol M. Highsmith; Library of Congress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

10) Gencaching:<\/strong> This is a type of hide-and-go-seek treasure hunting, and similar to geocaching, whereby items are hidden and family members hunt for them. To avoid using a GPS, hide small items around a park or room. Kids especially love these fun family reunion games!<\/p>\n

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11) Greeting cards:<\/strong> Have family members sign greeting cards for those who could not attend because of scheduling conflicts, financial limits, health reasons or otherwise. A modern equivalent is to include remote visitors, by using Skype or a smartphone\u2019s FaceTime or conference settings. This activity is one of the most memorable things to do at a family reunion.<\/p>\n

12) Jigsaw puzzles:<\/strong> Turn family photos into jigsaw puzzles or create one out of a large-format family tree chart. A twist on this is to give each family several pieces and ask them to complete the puzzle. The family member that finishes first gets a humorous prize.<\/p>\n

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Photo: family portrait, Fort Yukon, Alaska. Credit: Library of Congress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

13) Map makers:<\/strong> Use maps as display items or table cloths\u2014and encourage family members to mark hometowns or where they were born or married. Another option is to plot the migration path of your ancestors. A twist would be to repurpose a map as a type of dartboard attached to cork. If someone hits their hometown a bullseye is awarded, with lesser points awarded for being within range.<\/p>\n

14) Memory quilts:<\/strong> Have handicraft-inclined family members piece together autographed quilt squares into souvenir pillows and blankets.<\/p>\n

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Salem Observer (Salem, Massachusetts), 24 November 1860, page 4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

15) Record oral histories:<\/strong> Interview family members about their memories. To get started, bill this as \u201ceverything you always wanted to know, but were afraid to ask.\u201d Starter question include: \u201cWhat is your earliest memory?\u201d; \u201cWhat do you remember about your grandparents?\u201d; \u201cWould you tell us about serving your country during the war?\u201d; \u201cHow did you meet your spouse?\u201d and \u201cWho came to your wedding?\u201d<\/p>\n

16) Photo displays:<\/strong> Display photos and artifacts at the reunion, including: Bibles, medals, family jewelry, and quilts.<\/p>\n

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Photo: family portrait c.1890. Credit: Underwood & Underwood; Library of Congress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

17) Photo identification (ancestors and living family):<\/strong> Take a historical photo and do a guessing game as to the person, time or place. One of the cutest family reunion ideas is: \u201cGuess the baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

18) Picture memory game:<\/strong> Make two copies of a variety of ancestor\/family photos. Turn upside down and mix them up. Participants then take turns turning over two cards that they think will match. If guessed correctly, another turn is granted; if not the next person or team gets to try.<\/p>\n

19) Ancestor picture trading cards:<\/strong> Search the Web for sites to make ancestor trading and playing cards. Some are sold at a reasonable cost and they make for wonderful game prizes or souvenirs.<\/p>\n

20) Quizzes:<\/strong> Print copies of quizzes from GenealogyBank blogs (see list below) and see who does the best.<\/p>\n

21) Reenactments:<\/strong> Write sketches about veteran ancestors for family members to act out\u2014and if possible, dress in period costumes.<\/p>\n

22) Sack races:<\/strong> This can be done individually or in pairs. If you prefer teams, two participants each insert a leg into a shared sack or pillowcase. The winning team is the one who crosses the finish line first. The traditional sack races are one of the best family reunion games for kids.<\/p>\n

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Photo: boys\u2019 sack race, Labor Day celebration, Ridgway, Colorado, c.1940. Credit: Russell Lee; Library of Congress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

23) Silent auctions:<\/strong> To offset the reunion expenses, auction re-gifted family treasures. Ideas include: an old family photo, Grandpa\u2019s golf club, Mom\u2019s skillet or a child\u2019s artwork.<\/p>\n

24) Sing-alongs:<\/strong> Combine traditional and family favorites into a songfest that includes hymns and patriotic music. Engage a family musician to play an instrument or use recordings. This works well if you provide sheet music or songbooks.<\/p>\n

25) Display old family slide shows:<\/strong> Display slide shows to run in the background for inside gatherings. Collect photos in advance or sneak in ones taken during the event. To have fun, try body-switching. For example, grandpa\u2019s face could be added to the body of his favorite pet.<\/p>\n

26) Design t-shirts:<\/strong> Design a t-shirt prior to the event, or use markers to create them during the reunion.<\/p>\n

27) Telephone game:<\/strong> All relatives get in a line, and then the first person whispers a family secret into the next person\u2019s ear. The secret is repeated and passed along until the last person states what words actually reached them. Messages always get garbled in this game, and answers can be hilarious.<\/p>\n

28) Family history time capsules:<\/strong> Create time capsules with written family stories, photos and artifacts, along with memories from the current event (for example, the schedule of events). Send the time capsules home with families to bury on their properties. Another idea for those on a cruise is to launch a \u201cmessage in a bottle\u201d and see how long it takes until it comes back to the family.<\/p>\n

29) Videotape your family reunion:<\/strong> Take videos of your family reunion activities and request that relatives state their names and relationship to others. You don\u2019t want your great grandchildren wondering who \u201cButch\u201d was in your video.<\/p>\n

30) \u201cWhere?\u201d or \u201cWhat is this?\u201d game:<\/strong> Engage attendees in identification guessing games of antique items. If you don\u2019t have real items use photos, such as fire bellows, lanterns, manual typewriters, suspenders and spinning wheels, which will especially fascinate the youngsters.<\/p>\n

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Photo: woman using a spinning wheel c.1907. Credit: Paul Gunter; Library of Congress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Be sure to share activities, games and ideas from your past family reunions in the comments section below. We\u2019d love to read about them!<\/p>\n

GenealogyBank Blog Posts That Feature Quizzes:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n