I’m not going to say these are my “Top Ten” family reunion ideas but if I made a “Top Ten list these ideas would certainly be in the running. However, if I had to choose my number one favorite family reunion idea it just might be #1 in this list- the Cat-Eye Hike!
Family Reunion Idea #1- CAT-EYE HIKE
This is a hike that is best done when it is very dark. Cut cat’s-eye shapes from reflective tape, available at bike stores or RV stores. It is best to set up your hike the night before guiding groups on the hike. Put cat eyes on markers or apply cat eyes to index cards and then use the cards to mark the trail. You can find more information about Cat-Eye Hikes in the “Caveman” family reunion theme in the family reunion helper store.
Family Reunion Idea #2- BEADS!
Oh how I love beads- pony bead to be exact. When used as rewards they are great motivators. We have used beads as rewards at “Boot Camp” and “Beach” themed family reunions. Award beads when family members complete certain tasks or activities.
Family Reunion Idea 3- “A GAME OF CLUE”
Murder Mystery Game for Your Family Reunion. This is a family friendly murder mystery game that has been simplified so that it will work for most ages at your family reunion. If you want to make it more difficult you will need to make adjustments to the clues. It is very important to have a practice with your cast before you present the game. (We practiced for about an hour and went through the scenes three times working out all the details) I sent the cast a copy of the script about a month before our family reunion and asked them to get their own costumes and props. I did not tell them who committed the crime until the practice. Most of our actors used their scripts and did not memorize their parts.
This murder mystery game includes the script, score cards, character name tags and lots of pictures for costume ideas and is available as free download at http://familyreunionhelper.com/a_game_of_clue.php
Family Reunion Idea #4- WHEEL OF DOOM
For a girls camp my daughter attended, she was asked to create a “Wheel of Doom”. The idea was that the girls would spin the wheel to determine what kind of utensil they would eat with for dinner. The girls had so much fun with the wheel that we decided to use it at our family reunion. We used it several times and the family loves it every time!
Our Wheel of Doom is made out of piece of particle board. You can easily change the wheel to fit whatever your family reunion theme is. We printed off pictures that go along with each category and taped them to the wheel. You can even repaint the wheel for each reunion theme. For instance we painted the board in different camouflage colors for the Boot Camp family reunion and we painted it with glitter paint for the Medieval family reunion. As you can see, our wheel is not too fancy but it’s given us some fun and SUSPENFUL moments at our family reunions. It’s fun to watch the children as they anxiously wait to see where the arrow will land.
You can read more about the “Wheel of Doom” on Aunt Mo’s blog at http://familyreunionhelper.com/blog/2010/03/wheel-of-doom/
Family Reunion Idea #5- HERITAGE COLORING BOOK
Make a family heritage coloring book about the life of one of your ancestors. If you’re an artist then this is probably going to be a fun and easy project for you but if you have little artistic ability then this can be quite a challenge. To make my Heritage Coloring books I searched through old coloring books, magazines and of course the web to find “pioneerish” looking pictures and adapted my story to the pictures. Although a Heritage coloring book is a lot of work it is a wonderful way to share the story of your ancestor’s life’s with the younger ones in your family. You can find more information about about Heritage coloring books and resources for making one in the “Heritage” family reunion theme by clicking here.
