Attending a family reunion can often be the highlight of your year, as you get to spend time with family members that you haven't seen in years and enjoy quality time together. The process of planning the reunion, however, can be rather stressful. Thinking of enough activities to keep everyone entertained can be a real struggle. To help with the planning, incorporate these fun and family-friendly ideas into your family reunion. You will be sure to make it a memorable occasion for everyone.
Family Olympiad
There's nothing better than some friendly competition between family members. Hold a Family Olympiad during the day and encourage everyone to participate. For the family members not actively participating in the games, give them the job of referees, scorekeepers, and cheerleaders. You can make teams based on branches of the family or make them based on age or gender. To really mix up the groups, have everyone write down their favorite colors or animals and make groups based on that. This can encourage mingling and break the ice among cousins who don't see each other very often. You can include classic family reunion games such as three-legged races, doughnut-eating contests, ring tosses, and more.
Have Family Story Hour
As the day winds down after dinner, have an older member of the family who's an engaging storyteller hold story hour for the kids. They could tell personal family stories or branch into classic tales. A fun family story hour gives older family members the chance to share what they know with the younger generation. At the same time, the kids learn about their family's history and get quality time with the elder generation. Even when adults sit in on the story hour they can learn something new about their family and be taken back to their own childhood memories of listening to their grandparents' stories.
Give Custom Beach Towels As Gifts
Like any good party host, you'll want to give your guests a parting gift. Order towels in bulk that have a family photo printed on them or are embroidered with the family's last name. These personalized beach towels are a great memento for your family members and will be very useful for their next beach day or pool party. In a worldwide survey, about 52% of respondents expected to vacation at the beach within the next 12 months. The parents in the family will appreciate that you took the time to order towels for everyone and older members will love the personalization the towels have.
The most important part of your family reunion is making sure that everyone has a good time. When you hold a Family Olympiad, orchestrate a story hour, and order towels as gifts for family members big and small, you'll have created a memory that will last until the next family reunion and beyond.
