Looking for family reunion games or ideas for family reunion activities for kids and adults to do together?
Check out this fun list of family gathering activity ideas for celebrating family with a backyard bbq party, if you need indoor reunion ideas, party games, or just looking for ways to have family fun and lots of laughs for things to do at family parties.
The Best Family Reunion Ideas, Activities and Games That Encourage Family Connections
Planning games or family activities are great ice breakers to get the family re-connected and having fun.
You can go with a low-prep party game or fun family reunion activities that celebrate your family history and ancestors.
Ive put together a fun list of family reunion games and ideas below.
Guess the Baby Family Reunion Game
How to Play: Collect baby photos of family members.
Display them and have participants guess who each baby is.
The person with the most correct guesses wins a prize.
Family Photo Scavenger Hunt
How to Play:
Create a list of family-themed photos for participants to take on their phone.
Photo scavenger hunt ideas can include:
- picture with the oldest family member
- a photo of someone cooking
- picture with a first cousin
- picture with youngest family member
- picture with someone who can speak another language
- photo with your same hair color
& MORE
The person / team that completes the list first wins.
Family Reunion FishBowl Game
This is a hilarious team game that is played in three different rounds using different words and phrases.
The game is based on games you may know like Taboo, Password, and Charades.
This is also a huge hit when we play with groups because it gets everyone working together, laughing and competing!
LEARN HOW TO PLAY THE FISH BOWL GAME
Family Talent Show
What To Do:
Have family members sign up to showcase their talents, whether it’s singing, dancing, a magic trick, hula hoop to a song, a TikTok dance or whatever fun thing people can do.
Create a stage area and enjoy the performances.
This is especially fun for kids, so if the adults don’t want to do it then have a kiddo talent show.
PRO PARTY TIP: Give them details ahead of time and have them sign up so they can plan ahead.
Family Tree Trivia
How to Play:
Prepare trivia questions about your family history like:
- What was Grandma’s first job?
- Where did the family originate?
- Who always makes the deviled eggs?
- What’s the one recipe that Aunt Pearl will never share?
Or anything you think would be funny for your own family.
Teams compete to answer the most questions correctly.
Family Bingo
How to Play:
Create different family themed bingo cards with family-related items like:
- Has traveled to Europe
- Is left-handed
- Loves chocolate
- Annoyingly quotes movies (etc.)
Players mingle to find family members who match the descriptions.
When they do, they mark it off their cards.
First person to get a BINGO (across or down) wins.
Family Reunion Family Feud
How to Play:
Divide into two teams and play a version of the classic game show Family Feud.
You can either grab a Family Feud game like this or make questions customized to your family.
Pass the Story Post-It Note Game
How to Play:
Tell the family group that you’re going to retell a family story (but don’t tell them what it is).
Start a family story with a single sentence written on a Post-In Note.
The next person adds another sentence to the story on a new post-it note and sticks it on top of the first sentence (so that the next player can only see the most recent sentence), and so on, until all of the players have gone.
Then, read the story in order starting with the very first sentence and going up.
See how much of the family story people got right.
This is one of my favorite party games! It’s a really funny game to play with a group because of the element of surprise and not knowing what the person before or after you is going to say.
LEARN HOW TO PLAY THE STICKY NOTE STORY GAME HERE
Family Pictionary
How to Play:
Write down family-related words or phrases on slips of paper.
Players take turns drawing the word or phrase while their team guesses before a timer runs out.
Team with the most correct guesses wins a prize.
Who Am I?
How to Play:
Write down the names of family members, both present and past, on sticky notes.
Place a note on each participant’s forehead (or back) so that they can’t see and don’t know what’s written on the note.
Players mingle and ask yes-or-no questions to figure out who they are.
PRO PARTY TIP: You may need safety pins to pin on shirts, especially when it’s hot out (the “sticky” on the Post-It notes sometimes doesn’t work that well in the heat).
Generational Relay
How to Play:
Create a relay race with activities that represent different generations, such as:
- Dancing the twist
- Hula hooping
- Playing hopscotch
- Naming Madonna song titles
- Making a TikTok dance video.
Teams must complete each activity in sequence (like 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, etc.).
First team to do them all correctly and finish wins a prize.
Family Recipe Swap
This is one of my favorite family reunion activities to celebrate family history!
What To Do:
Have each family bring a favorite dish and the recipe.
Set up a table for the recipes and sample the dishes.
Vote on the favorite recipe or just enjoy the family dishes!
PRO PARTY TIP: Ask family members to bring copies of their recipes ahead of time so everyone can take a recipe home to make their own family cookbook.
Family Fire Story Time
What To Do:
If you’re having an outdoor party, gather around a bonfire and have each person share a funny or memorable family story.
This can be a great way to reminisce and learn more about family history.
You’ll be surprised what you learn and how many kids are interested in this family activity (especially if they’re funny family stories)!
Family Memory Lane Activity
What To Do:
Create a timeline on a wall or a large white board with important family events and photos.
Have family members add to the timeline with their own memories and stories.
Take a photo and send it to everyone after the family reunion has ended.
Generations Game
How to Play:
Create a quiz that spans multiple generations, with questions about popular culture, historical events, and family milestones from different eras.
Teams compete to answer the most questions correctly and win prizes.
PRO PARTY TIP: You can also grab a fun Trivia Pursuit Generations game for this!
Family Scrapbook Activity
What To Do:
Set up a table with scrapbook materials and encourage family members to bring copies of pictures to donate to the family scrapbook.
(Tell them not to bring the original pictures that they want to keep!)
Encourage family members to create pages with photos, stories, and decorations that will be added to a family scrapbook each year.
Reunion Family Quilt
What To Do:
Provide fabric squares and fabric markers.
Each family member decorates a square, which can be sewn together to create a family quilt.
You can even add to it each year.
PRO PARTY TIP: Be sure to have guests put the current year on each fabric square.
Family Olympics Or Family Minute To Win It Games
How to Play:
Organize a series of fun events, like potato sack races, egg-and-spoon races, stack the cups and more.
Divide into family teams to race, with fun medals given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.
GET IDEAS FOR BACKYARD OLYMPICS GAMES
Family Story Booth
What To Do:
Set up a video camera or smartphone on a tripod in a private area.
Encourage family members to take turns recording short stories, memories, or messages for the family archive.
After, edit them together as a Family Reunion Movie that everyone can access online.
Make one every year!
Family Map
What To Do:
Create a large map on a poster board.
Have family members place pins or stickers on the map to show where they live or where they came from to attend the reunion.
This is a great large family reunion activity if you have family members traveling from all different areas to attend a reunion.
Generation Guessing Game
How to Play:
Collect items from different eras (toys, photos, clothing, album covers).
Family members have to guess which generation or decade each item is from.
Person who guesses the most correctly wins a prize.
PRO PARTY TIP: Goodwill or thrift stores are great to get supplies for this game.
Family Heirloom Show and Tell
What To Do:
Ask family members to bring a cherished family heirloom and share its story with the group.
This can include old photos, jewelry, keepsakes, photos and more that are significant to them.
Be sure to video it to have it for family history!
Reunion Family Tree Creation
What To Do:
Provide materials for creating a family tree on a poster board or a long roll of paper.
Each family member can add their branch with photos and details about themselves.
Family Reunion Time Capsule
What To Do:
Have family members bring a small item that represents their family to place in a time capsule.
Be sure to have them write a short note about what it is, why they included it, and who it’s from.
Seal the time capsule to be opened at the next reunion or in a set number of years.
Family Photo Booth
What To Do:
Set up a photo booth and selfie station with fun props and a backdrop.
Encourage family members to take silly or themed photos together.
Create a family union specific hashtag and encourage everyone to share their photos on Instagram with the reunion hashtag so all the family members can see the party fun.
Family Storybook
What To Do:
Create a storybook where each family member contributes a page with their favorite family memory or a drawing.
Compile it into a book for everyone to enjoy.
Add a new “chapter” to the book each year and grow it into a multi-year family reunion keepsake.
ALSO CHECK OUT MORE FUN PARTY GAMES: Water Balloon Games For Kids And Adults
I hope you have fun celebrating together with these fun family reunion games, reunion activities, and family party ideas!
