Family Reunion Activities

If you are like many families, you and your relatives are getting together this summer for an opportunity to share stories and family history. Do you need some family history activities to get people talking, sharing and having fun at your next family reunion? Give these 10 fun activities a try.

Many of these were incorporated in our family reunion and were a big hit!

1. Family Tree Wall Chart
Wall charts are popular with reunion attendees. They help people visualize their place within the family. When creating a large family tree chart, include as many generations as possible. Family members can use it to fill in the blanks and correct any inaccurate information. A great way of creating wall charts is to use poster boards and tape to the walls in order of generations. The finished product also provides a great source of genealogical information.

2. Heritage Cookbook
This is a great fundraising project for the following year's reunion. Have attendees bring to the reunion or if they aren't able to come, have them mail to you, family recipes. They need to be their own family recipes or one past down from a distant ancestor. Ask them to include any details of memories of the family member known for the dish. These collected recipes can then be turned into a wonderful family cookbook and a great reminder of the past.

3. Tour of the Past
If your family reunion is being held near where the family originated, then schedule a trip to the old family homestead, cemetery or church. This is a great opportunity to share family memories.

4. Memory T-Shirts
If your reunion is for all extended branches of your surname, consider identifying each branch with a different colored shirt. To further distinguish the extended branches, scan a photo of the branch's progenitor and print it out on an iron-on transfer. Don't forget to put the date of the reunion on the t-shirt. These different colored t-shirts make it easy to tell at a glance who is related to who. This can also be a great fundraiser.

5. Oral History
If you have someone with a video camera, ask him or her if they would be willing to go around and interview different family members about their family. If the reunion is in honor of a special event or person ask people to talk about their memories of the event or about the guest of honor. Questions like growing up on the old homestead and selected memories can be asked. You can even have people write down one reunion related question, toss them in a hat, pull one out and ask everyone as a group.

6. Memorabilia Table
Set up a table for attendees to bring and display family treasured memorabilia - family photos, military medals, old jewelry, family bibles, even an old pair of boots some family member wore, etc. Just be sure that all the items are carefully labeled and the table is always hosted.

7. Family History Skits
Have people write down a short little story of their family and have groups of attendees develop skits or plays that will retell the tale. Non-actors can even get into the fun by modeling vintage clothing or ancestral outfits.

8. Story time
This can be a rare opportunity to hear interesting and funny stories about your family; a storytelling hour can really encourage family memories. Ask several family members if they would be willing to tell a story or have them write it down and it will be told for them. If everyone agrees, have someone tape this hour of history. It will be cherished forever.

9.Photo Swap
Invite attendees to bring their old, historic family photos, including pictures of people, places and even previous reunions with them. Encourage everyone to label their photos with the names of the photographees, the date of the photo, and their own name and an ID number (a different number to identify each photo). Get someone to volunteer to bring a computer and scanner to scan everyone's photos. Encourage people to bring as many photos as they can. Burn the picture on to CD's and sell to family members to help defray the costs of the scanning and CD burning.

10.Family Scavenger Hunt
This is fun for all ages, but is especially good to get the kids involved. A good old fashion scavenger hunt ensures the interaction between different generations. Make a form with family related questions such as: What was great-grandmothers first name? Which cousin had twins? When and where did Grandma and Grandpa Smith married? Who drove the farthest? Who flew the farthest? Who's the oldest and youngest here? The answers can be spread around the building, inside and out or where ever the majority of attendees are. Set a deadline, and then gather the family together to judge the results. If you wish, prizes can be awarded to the people who get the most answers correct.