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Family Reunion Activities

10 Fun Family Reunion Activities for Kids

A family reunion is all about spending time with the family, of course, but there may come a time when kids spend time with just the kids, and adults spend time with just the adults.  As a matter of fact, this should happen, to give each age group a chance to catch up with one another about age-appropriate things.

Adults will likely spend their time together in a wonderland of nostalgia, perhaps playing horseshoes or cards while enjoying a few adult beverages.  Kids, on the other hand, are a bit more difficult to entertain, and will likely need a few planned activities to keep them busy and happy.

Fun Things to Do For Kids

Here is a list of 10 fun family reunion activities for kids that will keep them busy for a bit:

Tie-dye:  Buy packs of t-shirts, socks, and anything else that would be fun to tie-dye.  You can use food coloring or buy kits specifically for this project.  Don’t forget some puffy paints and other accents to give the project a part two!

Water games:  Water balloons are a must, but they only last for so long, so be sure to have a bunch of squirt guns, water bombs, sponges, and anything fun for the water to keep them running around for hours!

Stepping stones:  These make great keepsakes and look great as a decoration in any garden.  Oh, and they’re easy to make!  All you do is pour cement mixture into pie molds, and the kids do the rest.  They can add handprints, stones, marbles, beads, or anything they might find outside on a nature hunt!

Large-scale finger paintings:  Finger painting can be fun for any age!  Buy white sheets (yes, the ones used for a bed!).  Even check thrift stores for used sheets, they will be used for painting, after all!  Lay the sheets flat with plates of finger paints and let the kids have at it!  If indoors, make sure to line the floors with newspaper to protect them.

Friendship bracelets:  Family can be considered best friends, too!  Buy different types of beads, charms, yarn, twine, anything that can be made into a bracelet.  The girls will love this one!

Bubbles:  Sure, have regular bottles of bubbles, but if you really want the kids to have a blast, fill the bottom of a kiddie pool with bubbles and find a hula hoop that’s not too big to fit.  The kids can make gigantic bubbles!  Another thing they can do is stand in the middle of the hoop in the pool, and have two other kids slowly raise the hoop up above their heads, and the kid in the pool will be “inside” a bubble!

Drum circle:  Okay, maybe not just drums, but any and every kind of instrument people have:  Guitars, bongos, tambourines, chimes, rain sticks, and so on.  You’ll likely need just one musically-talented child in the group to lead, and the rest can follow and have fun!

Cupcake decorating:  Bake cupcakes and frost them with white.  Place one cupcake in the center of one of those round painting palettes, and fill each paint holder with a different topping:  sprinkles, m&ms, skittles, gummy bears, chocolate chips, jelly beans, colored sugar, and so on.

Scavenger hunt:  Plan out a nice, long scavenger hunt, but make the last step ridiculous and fun like “to win, you have to eat this hotdog in under a minute!”  Make it extra silly to keep the kid’s attention.

Flip flop/sneaker decorating:  Buy some cheap flip flops and Keds-style sneakers, both male and female colors and set up a table with puffy paints, plastic gems, cartoon character decorations, ribbons, and anything fun to use for this project!

There you go, ten family reunion activities for kids!  I understand that some of these family reunion activities are not suitable for indoor play, so I tried to include an even balance of activities that can be done indoor, outdoor, or both.

When it comes to planning family reunion activities, you will need to use your best judgement, and make yourself aware of any rules or limitations of your chosen venue.  You don’t want to end up with a huge mess and/or a forfeited deposit!

Whatever activities you plan for the kiddos,  I’m sure they’ll have a blast just being together as family!

DIY Family Reunion T-shirt Ideas

Throwing a family reunion almost always means t-shirts for the family!  Wearing family reunion t-shirts is a great way to involve everyone in the reunion and make them feel like a part of your bg group.  You’re having a family reunion, and the world should know!

Matching t-shirts with silly sayings on them is a given for family reunion t-shirt ideas.  Here, I will focus on giving you a few creative and unique family reunion t-shirt ideas!

  1. Puffy paints:  Set up a table with various shirt sizes and many colors of puffy paint and let everyone make their own creation!
  2. Iron-on letters and pictures:  Setting up a table with various types of iron-ons can really make for some fun and funky t-shirts!
  3. Tie-dye:  Whether you tie-dye the shirts or have everyone do their own, this is great for a 60’s themed family reunion!
  4. Mystery maker:  Everyone draws a name out of a hat and has to make a shirt for that person.
  5. All kids:  Kids make the shirts for themselves and for everyone else!  That should keep them busy for a bit.
  6. Men vs. Woman:  Woman make shirts for the men and men make shirts for the women.  Keep it nice!
  7. Kids vs. Adults:  Adults make shirts for the kids and kids make shirts for the adults.  Definitely makes for super cute pictures!
  8. Squirt paints:  Typically for kids, but adults can have fun, too!  This is basically a paint-filled water gun fight with white family reunion t-shirts!
  9. Handprints:  Each family’s shirts should have the handprint of each family member on it.  Get creative and make the handprints into other pictures!
  10. Nature prints:  Perfect for camping family reunions, go on a nature hike with everyone to find things that will make cool prints with paint!
  11. Buttons, pompoms, and other fun things:  Turn t-shirt making into a hot glue project using anything and everything that can be glued to a shirt!
  12. Yarn:  You can make some really cool pictures by gluing yarn down in whatever way possible.
  13. “Code of Arms” prints:  Each family should draw up a code of arms on a piece of cardboard, glue yarn along the lines of the pencil, then paint the yarn and make prints onto shirts by pressing the cardboard to the shirt.  Make sure words are backward on the cardboard!
  14. Negative images:  Place letters and shapes on the shirt, spray all empty areas with paint, remove the objects and you just creative negative prints!
  15. Make ‘em at home:  Each family member makes their own shirt at home (specific criteria is up to the planner) and these shirts will be worn at the reunion!

The process of making and wearing the shirts should be a fun one, so avoid anything that you feel will cause undue stress on anyone involved.  Remember that not everyone is creative or crafty and some may not wish to participate in making their own shirt, so be sure to have a backup plan for this scenario!  You know your family well, so I’m sure you will come up with something that is sure to suit the group (literally)!

Family Reunion Picnic Games and Activities

The great outdoors is one of the very best places to have a family reunion, especially if it involves a picnic!

With any picnic family reunion, comes the need for some fun family reunion picnic games.

When you have a family reunion outside, there should be not a single person looking bored or secluding themselves from the rest of the group.

A family reunion is supposed to be a fun time for all, creating funny, sunny memories!

Picnic Games & Activities

Have lots of fun in the sun with these family reunion picnic games!

  • Cornhole: It’s that bean bag toss game with those wooden ramp-looking things that have a hole cut out in it. It’s fun once you know the rules!
  • Ladder ball: If you have ever wondered that that game is that is made out of plastic with three bars in the form of a ladder, where you throw those balls on the string to wrap it on one of the bars, this is ladder ball.
  • Frisbee: Who doesn’t enjoy a good game of frisbee?
  • Boomerang: I’ve never personally been able to make one of these come back to me, but it’s always fun to try!
  • Potato sack race: If you just don’t have access to the burlap sacks, using large pillow cases does the trick!
  • Water balloon fights: It will likely be very hot, throwing water balloons at people is always a fun way to cool down!
  • Squirt guns: Or super-soakers. Whatever your style, lock n’ load!
  • Fly kites: Kites are pretty, and if you will be having your family reunion in a big, open area, flying kites is a great idea for all ages!
  • Volleyball: If you have a net and have a ball, it would be a shame to leave them at home, wouldn’t it?
  • Badminton: Another activity with the volleyball net. Just don’t lose the birdies!
  • Beach ball: Even more fun with a gigantic beach ball, get your teams together and get your game on!
  • Soccer: Have a few athletes in the family? Set a couple of goals between trees or trash cans and start a soccer game!
  • Flag football: Okay, we all know tackle football is a lot of fun, but not everyone will be willing to play with such brutality, so playing flag football will get you some more participants.
  • Tug of war: All you need is a rope (and to be on the stronger team)!
  • Horseshoes: This one is more for the adults, but they need games too! Easy to set up, not so easy to score. Who will win?
  • Ring toss: You can buy this from the store, or make your own. Whichever you choose, the rules are the same!
  • Hula hoops: Know a few sweet hula hoop tricks? Show them off to the family and challenge grandma to give it a go!
  • Jump ropes: Single jumping or double-dutch, jump ropes can be a lot of fun for many!
  • Chalk: Have artists in the family? Set up an area for chalk and other types of street art. You can also make paint out of chalk which makes it more vibrant, but still washable!
  • Styrofoam airplanes: The really, really big ones. Enough said.

So now that you have a bunch ideas for fun family reunion picnic games, you have no reason for your family to be bored because there is something for everyone on this list. Keep everyone active and having a blast!

5 Tips for Throwing a Family Reunion Camping Trip

Throwing a family reunion at a campsite can be a great opportunity for family members to rekindle old relationships and forge new ones.

A campsite offers an affordable and exciting environment where there are plenty of activities for kids and adults alike to learn, exercise, and have a great time bonding in the outdoors.

Here are a few tips for holding a camping family reunion.

1. Plan ahead!

Don’t think that just because it is a campsite, reservations won’t be necessary. Camp sites can fill up, especially early during the summer and three day weekends, and if you have a large family, it can be difficult to get enough spots for everyone if you do it at the last minute. Instead, book the campsites as early as possible so you won’t be scrambling for tent spaces.

Include a suggested packing list: Some people in the family may never have camped before. By letting everyone know what they will need, you can help make sure everything goes smoothly. During the hot summer, suggest bug spray and sunscreen. During cooler months, warm sleeping bags and for the young ones, but kids footed pajamas may be better.

Figure out what the cooking facilities are, and make sure there is a meal plan. Even if you are just car camping, some sites may be far from the nearest grocery store or restaurant. By planning ahead you can spend more time having a reunion, and less time driving around hungry.

2. Take advantage of the learning opportunities

The camping environment can be a great opportunity for both adults and kids to try out new things. For example, if there is a family member who is an amateur astronomer, they can give everyone a lesson on stargazing under the bright night’s sky, out in the wilderness where there is less light pollution. If a different family member is an avid hunter, they can teach everyone about tracking.

The skills don’t need to be unique to the outdoors either. Are you a master barbecuer? You can teach people how to grill over an open fire. Having people share their special skills can be a great icebreaker for family members you haven’t seen in a long time or never met, and it is a terrific way to get everyone engaged while providing some structure to the family reunion.

3. Gourmet s’more contest

While sharing hobbies and talents is great, a little sibling (or family) rivalry can be a fun way to add a competitive element to the activities.

One fun thing to do is to make a gourmet s’more contest. For this, first split up into teams of 4 or 5 people, or just by family units (but this can be tricky at multi-generational reunions).

Then it is up to each team to come up with and create the fanciest, most gourmet and delicious s’more they can. Some ideas for ingredients to help get you started are marshmallow fluff, caramel, banana and peanut butter. Make enough for each team to try one, and then one extra — the winning team can collect this as a bonus!

4. Family story competition

After everyone has feasted on s’more and have changed into their pajamas, the same teams can compete with each other around the campfire to see who can tell the best family story.

To make the activity last longer, and to give each team more opportunities to win, you may want to have a few rounds with different themes. For example, one round could be the best baby story, and the next could be the funniest story about meeting a future husband or wife.

There is no end to the topics you can do, and then, once the youngest kids have been tucked into their beds — err, sleeping bags – those who are still up can finish off the night with some scary ghost stories.

5. Time capsule

Note: Make sure you check with a campground supervisor or park ranger before leaving or burying anything on the grounds. In some areas this may not be permitted.

Time capsules are more than a fun way to save memories and artifacts from a time that has passed. They are also a sort of promise to come back and retrieve them, which can mean another family reunion in the future!

Adults can have a blast filling up a time capsule with pictures from the family reunion and coming up with fun questions and answer forms to put in it, like how much they think a gallon of gas will cost, or who will be president when the time capsule is opened back up in X years.

It is great for kids too, because they can put in their plans for where they will be when it is opened up again. Perhaps the most exciting part can be hiding or burying the capsule. Kids can make a map to show the exact location so that in 1, 2, 5 or even 10 years to come back and retrieve the information.

More Ideas for Your Family Reunion Camping Trip

A family reunion in the great outdoors offers plenty of opportunities for fun learning, and of course fresh air. However, if you don’t have enough structure, people may just end up sitting in their tents or grilling hot dogs all day.

For more games and activities, check out our family reunion games and activities lists to help plan every day of your family reunion camping trip!

By following a few tips, like planning ahead and coming up with a few activities beforehand, you may be able to help ensure that everyone has a great time!