So what are the kids going to do at a family reunion?
That’s something you’ll have to plan for in order to host a successful family reunion. In addition to having a good time with their cousins, the kiddies have to be entertained in ways that will encourage their participation at the reunion and will engage them enough to want to come to the next one.
We’ve listed several easy to plan activities and games in the three categories. Use a combination of the three to create a schedule that the entire family will enjoy.
1. Free family reunion activities for kids
2. Easy to do family reunion activities for kids
3. Cheap Kids activities for a family reunion
Free Family Reunion Activities For Kids
Storytelling
While it sounds simple, it’s much more than just getting a bunch of kids together in a circle to tell stories. In order for this activity to be successful, you have to have the stories follow a certain theme.
Halloween or some other haunted theme is one of the most popular among both boys and girls. Other theme ideas could be Book-of-the-Month (what was the best book you read this summer?), or the funniest family incident. If you are planning on hosting a storytelling event, make sure to let the kids prepare ahead of time so everyone has a story to tell.
Family Talent Show
We’re all born with an innate talent and there’s no better place to show it off at than a family reunion. Any talent will do including a good singing voice, a math whiz, or a hula hoop champion. Be ready for some serious fun with this activity.
Board Games
As the night wears on, your kids are going to get antsy. In order to keep them entertained, pull out some board games and have them wind down in this manner.
Ask family members to bring the board games with them when they travel so you don’t have to buy at the reunion.
Some popular board games that you may not have heard of are Spot it, Bananagrams, Qwirkle, Blokus, and Sequence for kids. Other favorites are Monopoly, Chutes and ladders, Clue and Life.
Family History Show
Assign several ancestors to a group of kids and have them do some research on when they were born, what they did etc. the group of kids that comes up with the best and most accurate history wins a prize. This activity will help your kids learn about their past and gain a better understanding of where they come from.
Easy To Do Activities For Kids At A Family Reunion
Sprinkler On A Hot Day
Having a family reunion in the backyard? Use the sprinklers to keep the little ones busy for an hour or so. If you want to add some fun to it, then buy a couple of super soakers to add to the mix. You can also buy a Banzai water slide if you want to score some serious points with the kids.
Nerf Guns
Place some targets in the backyard and let the kids aim and shoot with nerf guns. You can also split the kids into teams to see who lasts the longest. Alternately, you could take the kids to Laser Tag and tire them out there.
Kiddie Pools
Pools keep the kids busy. Make sure to have enough adults watching the kids if you are using a hotel pool as most don’t have lifeguards. A fun game in the pool is Marco Polo.
Tye Dye T-Shirts
Kids love creating tie-dye T-shirts. Buy a tie-dye kit with several white T-shirts (Or substitute your family reunion shirts) and the let the kids show off their creativity. Make sure an adult is there to supervise the event. This is an activity you would want to do in a non-carpeted, preferably outdoor (Porch?) area that won’t stain.
Coloring Time
Buy a bunch of coloring books from a store like Family Dollar along with crayons, markers, or colored pencils. Make sure to buy coloring books for different age groups and genders so all the kids are busy during “Coloring Time With Aunt [Insert name]”.
Sidewalk Chalk
This messy activity can be a pain to clean but provides enough fun for it to be worth it. If you can provide a sidewalk area that is safe and away from cars, then this is a great activity for all the kids in your family reunion.
Kids Activities That Aren’t Too Expensive
Craft Table
Go by the nearest Joann’s or Michael’s stores and pick up some arts and crafts items that’ll keep the kids busy. Make sure to select crafts that are appropriate for different age groups as the kids will vary in both age and maturity. While you may try to organize the crafts into groups, kids have a way of circumventing any adult plans. We’d say the best thing to do is to let the kids do their own thing while the adults keep an eye out for any major disasters.
Family Map
If your family is large enough (more than 50 attendees), and is spread out across the country, a good activity for the kids is to create a family map. You can buy a wall sized map of the United States and have family members place sticky notes or thumbnails indicating where they live now. This exercise is a great way to show how spread apart everyone is and also how far everyone travelled to be at the family reunion.
Puppet Shows
A puppet show is a great way for the older kids in the group to keep the younger ones entertained. Provide the older ones with the tools to build a puppet show set along with several puppets to use in the act. Then have the older ones separate into groups to develop a script of their own. Have the contest judged by the applause level of the kids.
Hire a clown, juggler a caricature artist or a face painter
Any of the above will run you anywhere from $100-$200. If you have the budget in your family reunion, then these acts are sure to please and will keep the kids busy for several hours. One piece of advice is to not let a family member substitute as the clown or any other act. Get a professional to keep the kids busy so the adults can catch up and enjoy some down time.
Scavenger Hunt
If you’re having a family reunion at someone’s home, then a scavenger hunt is a perfect way to keep the kids busy. Bring along some family artifacts and hide them in some not too difficult places that are easy to find.
Most of the activities above are ones that you are probably familiar with from your own childhood. Help set up the games for the kids and assign a volunteer to watch over every activity. Successfully laying out a set of activities will create a memorable and enjoyable experience for the kids.
What should you read next?
Since you’re planning a family reunion, you could check out some more easy to plan activities and games or take a look at some money saving ideas for your next event.