Family reunions are a time to get together with relatives, follow or establish traditions, laugh at inside jokes, cheer for each others' life successes and support each other during difficult times. It's a good idea to have plans for entertainment, in case the fun starts to fade or people get restless. Keep everyone's interests in mind and organize activities that will bring people together, from the youngest toddlers to the oldest member of the family.
Icebreaker
Start the reunion with a fun icebreaker. Have everyone sit in a circle. Pass around a large bag of bowl of candy and encourage people to take as many pieces as they want but tell them not to eat it yet. After the bowl has made the full round, tell them that they need to share one fact about themselves with the group per piece of candy they took.
Match Pictures
Have everyone bring two pictures of themselves---one current picture and one from when they were a certain age that everyone agrees to. Place the pictures on a table and have each person take a turn to match at least one pair before they can sit down. One rule is that it has to be someone outside the person's original family. This is good for laughs.
Solving the Mystery
If there is a writer in the family, have her write a mystery without the ending, well in advance of the family reunion. She should describe settings and characters in elaborate detail, and plant plenty of clues pointing to more than one suspect. Distribute the mystery to all who are attending and tell everyone to add the ending. Have the family members read their endings and select a favorite for a prize.
Family Trivia
Using the model of the game Trivial Pursuit, have each family member list a half dozen trivia questions about someone in the family---themselves or other family members. Encourage serious trivia as well as humorous tidbits of information. Divide the family into teams with a balance of ages so one team won't have an advantage. This game is an excellent way to learn more about other family members.
Picnic Games
If the weather is nice enough to have the family reunion outdoors, plan to play some old fashioned picnic games. Try to divide teams up with a balance of age groups. If there's time before the reunion, have jerseys made for the teams. If not, use strips of fabric to tie around the arm. Some of the games you may want to play include water balloon toss, pass the egg on the spoon, sack race, basketball toss and horseshoes.
Help Others
At some point during the family reunion, you may want to take some time to do something for other people. Ideas include working at a soup kitchen during mealtime, visiting a children's hospital with stuffed animals and books, putting on a talent show at a nursing home or helping with repairs at the house of a needy family.
