Part 10: Family Reunion Games

Getting The Games Started

Congratulations! If you have made it too this point in the planning process, you are ready for the real fun to begin!

Let’s recap.

By this time you have decided on a theme, you have chosen where the reunion will take place, you have set up lodging for out of town family members, and you have created and sent off your invitations. Now, it is time to decide what exactly you will DO at your family reunion.

If you are like most families that are spread all over the country, you most likely have some relatives that do not know each other that well. Therefore, you will want to be sure to include some icebreaking activities in your family reunion plans.

FAMILY REUNION GAME TIP: Use your family website while planning your family reunion to collaborate with your family members regarding what games they would like to play at the reunion. Don't have a family website yet? Get started for free here.

One great ice breaker is Human BINGO. With Human BINGO, you will need to prepare some BINGO cards ahead of time. Rather than using numbers as you usually find on BINGO cards, however, you will write human characteristics and traits on the cards.

For example, you might include certain hobbies or other activities that people often enjoy. Or, you might include physical traits such as eye color, hair color, and more. You might even include certain extraordinary activities that someone might have tried once, such as bungee jumping or skydiving.

After your cards are created, you will play Human BINGO much like you play traditional Bingo. Only in this case, you or someone else designated as the caller will name off certain traits or characteristics. Each family member must then mix and mingle to find a family member that fits that trait. Then, the person matching that trait signs the appropriate square. The winner is the first player to successfully complete a BINGO.

Another option is to play I Am Turtle. With this game, your younger guests draw pictures of an animal or other object that they think represents them. The older family members then try to determine which animal or object fits with which child.

Bring Me is another good game to play. To play this game, you or the designated caller will call out for certain objects by saying something like “Bring Me a shoe with yellow shoestrings.” The first person to bring that item then receives a prize. The item brought up to the caller, however, cannot belong to that person or to a person in his or her immediate family. Rather, he or she has to get the object from a more distant family member. This helps to get your family mingling and the fun is sure to ensue!