These Family Reunion Ideas Will Basically Guarantee A Good Time
Meabh McCrossan
Contributor
Family—is there any better cause for celebration than that? Family reunions are a great way to celebrate a milestone birthday, graduation or just get together with relatives. Whether you’re looking to share a meal or host an elaborately themed party, these family reunion ideas will be memorable for all.
While planning a family reunion, you might be on the hunt for advice, inspiration or even party themes, as well as local vendors to hire for your family gathering. With our help, you’ll have more time to make memories with your family. These fun and easy ideas for a family reunion will create memories your loved ones will never forget.
Family Reunion Ideas and Activities
Family reunions are a chance for relatives of all ages to reconnect, share stories and spend quality time together. Easy things to enjoy together could be shared meals, group games, photo sessions and casual catch-ups. Whether through organized events or simple downtime, the goal is to celebrate family! Consider including some of these family reunion ideas and activities and have yourselves a blast.
Do some face painting
You’re never too old for face painting! Family members of all ages are sure to get a kick out of having a face painter transform them into creative characters and charming creatures. If you’re hosting your reunion near a holiday, you can have themed looks, like spooky spider webs or hip-hoppin’ Easter bunnies. The choices are endless.
Throw a potluck
If you’ve ever tried to feed a big crowd, you’ll know that it’s nearly impossible to settle on a dish that everyone loves. Why not make it easier and organize a big potluck for your nearest and dearest? This way, everyone gets to try something new and delicious, and you don’t have to do all the preparing.
You can even have everyone bring their favorite family recipe.
Or have a cook-off
A bit of friendly competition makes everything more exciting! Everyone thinks that their signature dish, be it chili, pasta, tacos, or biscuits, is the best version in the world. Put this belief to the test and have your family’s chefs battle it out to become the next MasterChef of your clan. Onlookers need not feel as though they cannot participate, as the role of taste-tester is a vitally important one!
Commemorate the event with a photographer
Many of us have an aunt, uncle or grandparent that spends all of their time during family events snapping pictures of their loved ones—or maybe, it’s you! Hiring a professional photographer will leave everyone free to enjoy the special moments as they occur while an expert preserves precious memories in real-time.
Or rent out a photo booth
Everyone loves a photo booth—Mom and Dad might remember squeezing into one at the mall years ago, and youngsters will have a brilliant time with this retro invention! Not only do they provide us with fun and laughter while we’re capturing pictures, but they also leave users with adorable photographic keepsakes. Both trendy and nostalgic, a photo booth is sure to be a major success at your family reunion.
Get some custom family reunion t-shirts
If there are any particularly creative family members, you can ask them to come up with family reunion t-shirt ideas for your soirée. Pick your color and text, and even create an eye-catching logo for your attire. Not only will your family reunion t-shirts be stylish and personal, but they’ll also help you spot your family members from a distance in more crowded settings, great for gatherings at theme parks or resorts.
Create a family tree mural
Whether you decide to commission a professional or create your own, a mural showcasing your family tree can add endless charm and meaning to your event decor. For each branch of your tree, you can add photographs, drawings, or even handprints of every family member. While families—much like trees—continue to grow, change and evolve, this creation will forever be a beautiful reminder of a wonderful family reunion.
Have a blast with a bounce house
Did you know that some bounce house companies offer options for both kids and adults? Don’t jump to conclusions—this is a great activity for all of the family, so embrace your inner child and get to hopping! Opt for a traditional castle-style structure, or select an obstacle course that’s sure to be fun for all age groups.
Have a s'mores night
Reminisce over your childhood trips to the woods and share this delectable snack with your younger relatives around a crackling campfire! Chocolate, graham crackers, marshmallows - simple, sweet, and hits the spot. Serve this dessert with a haunting ghost story and watch your family get spooked!
Mix up cocktails for the adults
Whether you decide to go with a bartending team or a mobile bar service, you can elevate your event with the help of a friendly mixologist. Have your bartenders craft a custom menu for you and yours, naming each delicious drink after members of your family. ”I’ll take a Grandpa Mike on the rocks, and maybe an Aunt Linda with a dash of lime!”
Have a craft beer sampling sesh
Craft beer goes down a treat with all beer lovers. Choose your favorites from a local brewery (maybe a family-owned business?) or have a sampling session at your venue. Looking for yet another way to add some customization to your event?
Order personalized bottle labels or beer koozies with your family name. Cheers to that!
Or do a juice bar instead
When it comes to ideas for family reunion, the kids are sure to love this—let them dabble in mixology at their very own juice bar! Provide them with freshly squeezed juices in a variety of flavors, pour them into charming dispensers and let them create their own concoctions. Acouterments can include crazy straws, reusable ice cubes in whacky shapes, and freshly cut fruit. Care for a straw-rasp-mango-berry on the rocks? These little bartenders will have your order coming right up!
Family Reunion Themes
Photo: Flashpop/gettyimages.com
Family reunions are all about connection, laughter and celebrating what makes your family unique. A fun way to add excitement is to choose a theme that encourages creativity, playfulness and plenty of photo-worthy memories. Here are a few theme ideas to get the ball rolling.
Try an imitation theme
Does your Grandpa have a habit of wearing the same outfit, colors, or type of clothing? Is your Mom starting to become a bit predictable with her fashion choices? Dress up as your beloved family members to inspire endless laughter and iconic photo opportunities.
Have a family Olympics moment
When it comes to family reunion ideas, there’s nothing like a lighthearted competition to get the party started. Create teams by family branch and compete in fun activities like sack races, tug-of-war, water balloon tosses or relay challenges. Everyone can wear team colors or matching family reunion t-shirts, and medals or ribbons can be awarded at the end.
Choose a decade
Pick a decade and let the trends of the times inspire your outfit themes. You can become a flashy 70’s disco queen, a denim-clad 80’s rockstar, or a 90’s scrunchy-wearing popstar. Alternatively, you could ask everyone to dress up in the style that was most popular during the year they were born and give everyone a sense of nostalgia for years gone by.
Travel around the world
Celebrate the diversity of your family’s heritage (or just take an imaginary global trip) by assigning different tables, food stations or activities to various countries. Family members can dress in styles inspired by different cultures and dishes from around the world can be served buffet-style. Activities could include international trivia, dance lessons (like salsa or line dancing) or a world-themed scavenger hunt.
Have fun with a circus theme
Who’s the ringleader of your family? Perhaps it’s time to present them with their top hat, tailcoat, and cane! A circus-themed family reunion may be a very appropriate motif, depending on how theatrical your clan may be.
Play traditional carnival games, such as ring toss and whack-a-mole. Serve popcorn, pretzels and candyfloss. The possibilities are endless.
Embrace the red carpet
Roll out a red carpet and let your family’s inner celebrities shine. Encourage everyone to dress as their favorite movie star, musician or fictional character. Set up a photo booth with props like sunglasses, feather boas and fake awards. Serve up sparkling drinks (mocktails included) and popcorn in movie-style buckets while playing family-friendly films in the background.
Family Reunion Game Ideas
Games are an easy way to bring generations together at a family reunion, encouraging laughter, teamwork and a little friendly competition. From outdoor challenges to themed trivia, they can keep the energy up and help make sure everyone feels included. Here are a few classic and creative family reunion ideas to add to your party planning checklist.
Play a game of family feud
Steve Harvey might not be invited to your next family reunion, but that’s not going to stop you from hosting an ever-so-entertaining round of Family Feud. Have your most charismatic cousin try their hand at being a TV show host and split the rest of your family into groups to compete against one another.
Are you playing to win fabulous prizes? Bragging rights? You choose!
Have a dress-up competition
Admit it—while we do love our families, sometimes it might be nice to hang out with someone new. Have every family group dress up as an iconic family from TV, film or history. Think the Kardashians, The Flintstones, even the Addams Family! And of course, we’re going to suggest some friendly competition to make the whole thing much more interesting.
Host a talent show
Have any tricks up your sleeve? Perhaps a song or two? Family reunions are a great opportunity for some friendly competition, so why not host a fabulous talent show? You could offer prizes for the best act of the night, the silliest entry, and the best dressed.
Sing your hearts out
It’s your time to be a star! Another crowd pleaser, karaoke is a great activity that’s sure to get all the family singing their hearts out. What’s your favorite karaoke song to sing? Jolene? Mr. Brightside?
After everyone’s had their spotlight, get everybody out of their seats for a group rendition of Sister Sledge’s ‘We Are Family’! You can even hire a karaoke DJ to handle the songs, set up, and emcee skills to get everyone involved.
Organize family trivia
Put together a trivia game filled with questions about your family’s history, milestones and quirks. Mix in funny questions (like “Who fell asleep at the dinner table in 2005?”) with meaningful ones (birthplaces, favorite family recipes, or wedding anniversaries). It’s a great way to relive memories, teach younger relatives about family roots and spark plenty of laughter.
Set up relay races
Outdoor relay races are classic crowd-pleasers. Think three-legged races, sack races or carrying an egg on a spoon without dropping it. You can organize age-based teams to make things fair, or mix ages so younger kids get to team up with older relatives. These fast-paced competitions bring out everyone’s playful side and create hilarious photo moments.
Or a scavenger hunt
Design a scavenger hunt that weaves in family memories or reunion traditions. Hide clues around the yard, park, or rented venue—each clue leading to the next until someone finds the treasure. Clues can reference family stories or include fun riddles for kids. As far as ideas for family reunions go, this one is interactive, adventurous and a great opportunity to get everyone mingling.
When in doubt, play classic party games
You can’t go wrong with classics like sack races or a scavenger hunt, especially if your family reunion is taking place outdoors. If you’re inside, bring a variety of board games that will bring people together and can act as conversation starters between cousins who haven’t seen each other in a while.
Family Reunion Invitations
Looking for family reunion ideas for your invitations? An invite really sets the stage for your gathering and helps build excitement before the big day. Whether you go for heartfelt, silly or creative, the right invite captures your family’s personality and gives guests a taste of what’s to come. Here are some fun ideas to spark inspiration.
- A photo collage of past reunions or family portraits
- Vintage-style postcard with the reunion date and location
- “Family Tree” design with names of relatives as branches
- A playful “Wanted: All Family Members” Wild West poster
- Boarding pass or travel ticket theme if relatives are flying in
- Puzzle-piece invitation where each family gets a piece
- Recipe card with the reunion details on one side and a family recipe on the other
- Ticket-style invite for a “Family Reunion Festival”
- Comic strip featuring family jokes or characters
- Simple, heartfelt letter with a favorite family quote at the top
Find more ideas and inspiration for events here on The Bash.
