What do you think of when you hear the words “family reunion?” Most people think of Aunt Sarah’s potato salad, Grammas’ eight layer chocolate cake, Uncle Ted’s BBQ, Cousin Cindy’s new boyfriend, and Aunt Candy’s family gossip. If you want to spice up your family reunion with more than Aunt Candy’s gossip, try some of the ideas listed below.
Rock and Roll your Relatives
In this year’s invitation, ask folks to bring their all time favorite tunes. Tell them to break out those old records, eight track tapes, cassessets, or CD's, and bring them to the family reunion. For decorations, go to junk stores, antique stores, or flea markets and get some old 45’s and a few posters of music icons Decorate the walls with the 45’s and the old posters, add some black helium balloons, white streamers, and white tablecloths, Get black plates and black plastic silverware. Cut out some music notes out of the extra black plates and scatter them around the tables. Put small vases with white and red carnations and music notes made out of black pipe cleaners on all the small tables. You’ve got a rocking reunion! Invite relatives of different ages to teach the rest of the family dance steps from their era. Make sure your digital camera is charged because you will have lots and lots of fun pictures to email to the family after this reunion.
Salsa Party
You can still eat potato salad and chocolate cake, but add a little salsa this year. Invite family members to bring their best homemade salsa to the reunion. Have categories like: Wimpy but Wonderful, Torrid Taste Bud Torture, and Smooth, but Smoking. Have family members taste and vote for one sauce in each category. You may want to add a favorite chips contest, too. Give out ribbons or trophies at the end of the night.
F.A.M.I.L.Y. N.A.M.E. B.I.N.G.O.
Get on the computer and make family name bingo cards. Instead of Bingo, put the name of the family on the top of each card, example: Smitho, Joneso. Then put family members’ individual names in each of the spaces, examples: Janice, Susie, Bill. Since some family names are longer than others, the only way to win is to completely fill up your card. The first person who gets Smitho or Joneso or Robinsono, gets to select a prize. Prizes are original items created by other family members. For example, Lisa donates one of her paintings. Judy donates her recipe for double deep chocolate brownies, and Sid donates a bottle of his own BBQ sauce. Not only is this a fun game, allowing the younger children a chance to get to know family member names, it also is a showcase for your family’s talents, since all of the prizes have to be created by them.
“Sliders"
Have your family reunion in the backyard this year. Get each family to donate $20.00 and bring picnic food. With the money, rent a giant blow up water slide for the day. The companies who rent these slides set them up for you and pick them up for you. All you have to do is pay. The slide will probably cost between $140 and $200 for the day. Of course, the very little children will not be able to slide, so go to Wal-Mart or Toys R Us and get a fancy baby pool to keep them entertained. All the kids and young adults will be entertained for the day, so the adults can actually catch up without interruption.
Family Game Night
Take family game night to a whole new dimension. Drag out the “Twister” and “Monopoly.” Set up Bridge tables and the Xbox and bring it on! Everyone gets to bring a favorite game and junk food. Set up family challenges. Draw teams or set up multi-generational teams before the family gets there. Put family members who rarely get to see each other on the same team. You may even want to make or get family t-shirts made. At the end of the night, have prizes, but not just for winning and losing. Award prizes fun prizes like “Most Creative Player in a Tight,” “Best Bluffer,” and “Most Coordinated After 50.”
Want to Be in the Pictures Reunion
Got a family that takes lots of pictures and lots of videos? What better theme for a family reunion? Get everyone to bring a video tape or picture album. You may want to get family members to send in a pictures of themselves early and post them on a board at the entrance way to the reunion.
Let everyone guess who was who when they walk in the door. Give a prize for the person who gets the most right. If many of your family members are comfortable with PowerPoint, you may want to ask them to make a PowerPoint of the year, including all the high points. Depending on where you have the reunion, you could set up several computers and have different kiosks running for the entire family to view.
Something’s Fishy Around Here
Want the men in the group to get excited about the family reunion? Book some cabins at a State Park (Book early though. They go fast.) Turn your family reunion into a fishing tournament. Let the kids swim and fish during the day. Have a great big fish fry at night . (You may want to bring hamburgers or hotdogs as backup.) Award trophies for real winners and ribbons for others, such as “Youngest Fisherperson,” “The One That Got Away Award.,” and “The Best Fish Cleaner Award.”
Super Bowl Reunion
Another way to get the men there is make it a Super bowl family reunion. Schedule the event somewhere that has a huge TV. Encourage everyone to wear game jersey’s. Get families to bring chili, soups, or desserts. Have all family members guess the final score as they walk in. Closest score gets a prize. Have sports trivia games out for anyone who wants to play. Bring footballs for family members who want to play a game of their own.
Holiday Cruise
Let everyone agree not to exchange presents this year. Instead, take that money and let everyone go on a short cruise during the holiday season. With a large group, don’t forget to check for discounts! Also, think about checking into cruises that are geared just for families.
Virtual Reunion
Have gas prices gotten you down? Is it difficult to schedule a reunion that can include everyone? Is distance a real problem? Well, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a family reunion. Set a date and time and agree to meet in a chat room on-line. You may not get to see everyone, but at least you can get to talk to everyone. If someone in your family doesn’t have a computer, their public library probably does. Get them to check times their library is open and try to schedule the chat to incorporate one of those times. If you really want to see everyone, try to get people to e-mail pictures of themselves and their spouses and kids ahead of time. You may even consider making a webpage that the family can visit. Having a web page will allow you to update pictures and information on a regular basis.
With a little creativity, family reunions can be a time that everyone, young and old, male and female eagerly anticipates.Help make your family reunion an adventure all will remember.