Summer is the time of year most families hold their annual family reunion. The weather is more dependable, the kids are out of school, and parents can better schedule their vacation time. But what do you do at the family reunion? You want to seize every opportunity to spend time building relationships with your relatives, and you want everyone–from elderly aunts to unruly teenagers to toddling children–to feel like the reunion is for them.

The following twenty-five activity ideas for a family reunion are just a sampling of the many fun and easy things you can do to get every family member involved and excited about the events of the reunion. You’ll find activities for sunny and rainy days, activities for the park and the beach, activities for sports enthusiasts and young children, even activities that will further your family history research and involve the family at the same time. There’s sure to be something for everyone, and any of the following ideas can be modified to fit your own family reunion needs. With that in mind, here are twenty-five ideas of fun things to do at your family reunion this summer.

2. Hire a caricature artist to come to the reunion for an hour or two to draw portraits of family members. The rates these artists charge can be inexpensive, and the caricatures are sure to become treasured keepsakes, as well as provide great entertainment.

3. Rent a karaoke machine or hire a disc jockey or square dancing caller and open up the activities to dancing and singing. These are great group activities; even the kids will have fun.

4. Put on a family talent show. Family members may want to perform skits, sing songs, play musical instruments, perform magic tricks, tell jokes, or demonstrate other talents or hobbies. The talent show could be its own event or could serve as entertainment following a family banquet.

5. Make homemade ice cream with fresh fruits of the season. If no one owns an ice cream freezer, you can rent one from a party store or catering supply company. The ice cream is sure to be a welcome refreshment on hot summer afternoons.

6. Hold a best-dessert contest. Ask family members of different ages to act as judges who sample each of the desserts and choose the first, second, and third place winners. You may also want to collect the recipes for a family recipe book.

7. Hold a family raffle or auction. Ask family members to contribute knickknacks, costume jewelry, baked goods, even specific services to raffle or auction off. This activity can be an entertaining event, and the proceeds can be used for the next family reunion.

8. Play card games. Bring several decks of cards, score pads, and pencils to the reunion so everyone can get involved in a card game. Many families play a traditional card game when they get together, such as Rummy, Canasta, Bridge, Pinochle, Rook, or Hearts. Card games also come in handy when the weather doesn’t cooperate with outdoor activities.

9. Play outdoor group games. Form teams and organize games of "Pass the Orange," "Toss the Egg," "Telephone," and others. These group games can include a large or small amount of people, and everyone is sure to have a great time.

11. Create a family mural. Buy a roll of heavy-duty white banner paper and post it on a wall. Provide crayons and non-toxic markers and ask everyone to contribute to the project. Family members may draw a picture, write a poem, contribute a favorite saying, etc. Ask each person to sign his or her name on the mural.

12. Organize a "family" scavenger hunt. Prepare a form with random family-related questions such as: Who is the youngest/oldest family member at the reunion? What was great-grandfather Jones’ first name? How many babies at the reunion are under the age of two? Where and when were grandpa and grandma Wilson married? Distribute the form and set a deadline for its completion, then gather the family together to review the results. You may choose to award prizes to the people who get the most answers correct.

13. Bring old records and tapes of the music you enjoyed when you were growing up. The music will spark memories of the past and will encourage reminiscing among family members.

14. Collect baby pictures of as many family members as possible. Then select the ones you think will be most difficult to identify and set up a display. Have attendees guess who the babies are, and award a disposable camera (or other prize) to the family member who gets the most answers correct.

15. Post a large family tree on a wall that illustrates as many generations of the family as possible. Ask family members to find themselves, highlight their names, and correct any inaccurate information. The family tree then becomes a record of the event and is a good source of genealogical information. Family members will also have a visual representation of the family structure, its history, and their place in it.

16. Organize an ancestral "fashion show" in which family members model or display old-time clothing and explain what they know about it–who owned it, when it was fashionable, etc. Someone in the family can act as the disc jockey and play music to accompany the parade of family costumes.

18. Organize a family show-and-tell for the younger children. Ask them to learn a story about one of their ancestors and to prepare a short speech or story about the ancestor. Then let the children dress up in old clothes or costumes they have created so they can get into the character of the ancestor they are representing. Have them present their skits to everyone; the kids will enjoy the creative process and the opportunity to dress up.

19. Provide a supply of sidewalk chalk and encourage the kids to exercise their creativity. Ask them to draw pictures of their families or a favorite activity they have taken part in during the family reunion.

20. Organize a story hour. Set aside a quiet place for the younger children to gather with one or more grandparents. Ask the adults to tell stories about their childhoods. This is a great way for the children and the older generations to connect.

22. Build a sand castle. If your reunion is being held at a beach or in a park where there is a lot of sand, organize a competition to build the biggest or best sand castle. People of all ages will enjoy participating in this activity, and it will lend itself to individual and/or team competition.

23. Organize a family softball game. Bring a bat and a softball and something to represent the bases. Teams can be formed based on any criteria you choose, such as a members of a single family, people with the same surname, people with the same hair or eye color, or people wearing the same color T-shirts.

24. Organize a sack race. Ask each family to bring an old pillowcase or a gunnysack to the reunion for a sack race. You can make this an individual competition or organize teams to compete in a relay-style race.

25. Organize a volleyball game. If you don’t have a net, don’t worry. All you really need is the ball. However, if you want something to act as a net, use a rope or cord of some kind stretched between two posts or tree trunks.

Hopefully these ideas will bring back pleasant memories of your own past family reunions, and give you some practical ideas for great family reunion activities this summer and for many summers to come. Have a fun family reunion!

Return to the Ancestry Magazine July/August 2001 Table of Contents.