Family Reunion Activities for Every Age

Some people love them, some people hate them, but whatever your take, family reunions are always memorable!  The key to a great family reunion is having age-appropriate activities for everyone, without overscheduling.  Here are some of our favorite activity ideas to make your next family get-together memorable for all the right reasons.

Competition

Do you have a competitive family?  Here are a few ways to find out who the champion is in every category:

• Family History Trivia - Good luck going up against grandma on this one!

• “Most Likely To” Awards - Play to everyone’s most “unique” strengths.  Have a committee choose all the awards, or open them up to voting!

• Bake-Off or Cook-Off - This is a great way to get one of your meals taken care of with everyone pitching in.

• Lip Sync Battle - Make sure you have judges from every era because you’re sure to get everything from Elvis Presley to Sabrina Carpenter.

Active and Athletic

Everyone will get along better (and sleep better) if they have something to wear them out.  Get everyone’s hearts racing with some athletic events.

• Obstacle Courses - Include everything from balancing to tossing and keep a leader board throughout the week.  Try one of Bolder Play’s ready-to-go Obstacle Course sets to get you started.  We recommend the Obstacle Course Race Set, Hop Ball Race Set, or Slackers Obstacle Race Set.

• Sports Bracket - If you are staying somewhere with a pickleball, basketball, or tennis court, set up a bracket for everyone who wants to participate.  Then in between get some casual games going.

• Family Kickball - It’s the classic game that EVERYONE can play.  Split into two teams and cheer each other on!

• Night Games - Head outside after dark for a game of Sardines, Kick the Can, Ghost in the Graveyard, or Capture the Flag.

Sentimental

Part of the fun of a family reunion is the memories shared and the nostalgia of shared history.  Put some of the focus on your connections with a few more sentimental activities.

• Family Updates - Go open-mic style and give everyone 2 minutes to update the family on what’s going on in their life.

• Time Capsule - Let everyone contribute something to represent themselves, and bury the capsule in grandma’s backyard.  Open it up at the next family reunion.

• Family Photos - Set up an outdoor projector to share family photos and memories.  See who can correctly guess the baby photos!

• Family Talent Show - You never know who can ride a unicycle, walk on their hands, or sing the French national anthem until you give them the stage.

In the Background

Part of the reunion is lots and lots of chatting.  But not everyone has the gift of gab so set up some activities that kids and adults can do throughout the day without the whole group.  This will keep everyone occupied.

• Lawn Games - Pull out the classics like Bocce Ball or Cornhole, or break out some new ones.  At Bolder Play we love Wicket Kick: Giant Kick Croquet, or the Wacky Race Set.

• Craft Corner - Rock painting, a jigsaw puzzle, or bracelet making can be perfect for those who like to keep their hands busy during other activities.

• Zipline - A zipline can keep kids entertained for hours, especially with a sprinkler underneath, or a light-up seat and glow sticks.  Use a Bolder Play Zipline that you can set up for the event, and take down when you’re done without any permanent hardware.

• Quiet Zones - Some people may need a quiet corner to read or take a nap when they are tired of visiting.  Set up a Swing or Hammock as some quiet spaces.

For the Littles

Last but definitely not least, the littlest family members need something to keep them busy.  Toddlers and small kids can come back to some activities over and over again so keep some of these on hand for repeat use.

• Water - Buckets, wading pool, sprinkler, you name it and kids love it.  Give them some plastic cups and utensils to scoop and pour.  

• Sandbox - If you don’t have a permanent sandbox, fill a wading pool with some sand.  Bury small toys or plastic coins for kids to find and sifters to “dig for gold”.

• Slide - Set up a StairSlide on the patio steps for kids to play on.  You can create multiple small slides for the littles, and they can take turns going down, race cars down, roll balls down, pour water down - you name it!

• Bubble Machine - Even the littlest ones love to watch bubbles.  Get an affordable bubble machine so no one has to get too sticky or winded blowing bubbles all day long.

Whatever you choose, enjoy spending time with your family this summer and take pictures!  Someday you and the cousins will look back fondly at simpler times when you could all relax and hang out in grandma’s backyard.  And who doesn’t love a week of home cooking?