Super-Fun Ideas for Family Reunions

Capture relatives in special shots that do all the framing for you. Before the clan shows up, paint a few inexpensive picture frames. During the event, place a sticker with a family's name on a frame and start snapping away.

Originally published in the June/July 2015 issue of FamilyFun magazine.

When did Aunt Kay come to America? How old is Cousin Sam? With this tabletop activity, you can collect answers to all those "when" questions. Tape a piece of butcher paper to a table and draw a long line that starts with a significant date (Granny's birthday, say) and ends with the current year. Segment the decades with colorful washi tape. Encourage everybody to write or sketch in all the milestones -- birthdays, weddings, graduations -- as well as other memorable events from those decades.

Originally published in the June/July 2015 issue of FamilyFun magazine.

Yes, someone might have to talk Grandpa through the concept of a selfie, but it's worth it for this cool montage. A month before the gathering, ask each family to take pictures of themselves going about their routines: waiting at the bus stop, practicing lacrosse, gardening, resting on the couch after dinner. Text or e-mail them to a tech-savvy family member who knows how to turn them into an excellent slide show that you can project at the reunion.

Originally published in the June/July 2015 issue of FamilyFun magazine.

Here's an easy way to feed a crowd that lets folks show off their culinary creativity. Have all the standard condiments at the ready but also invite each family to bring some favorite fixings: for their state's specialty, perhaps, or a combo they have made up and named. Set out card stock signs listing suggested ingredients. You can find our list of regional hot dog toppings below.

Originally published in the June/July 2015 issue of FamilyFun magazine.

Celebrate achievements -- and inject a little healthy competition into the gathering -- with a display of pennants earned during the event. Hang lengths of yarn on a wall or between trees and stock a "victory station" with pens, paper, miniature clothespins, and card stock pennants (assign each branch of the family a color or pattern). Then invite each family to decorate and pin up pennants to honor their various triumphs and cooperative moments: "Dominated at volleyball"; "Washed the breakfast dishes"; "Participated unironically in the family talent show."

Originally published in the June/July 2015 issue of FamilyFun magazine.

Who are you again? Genealogical badges make everybody's connections relatively clear. Before the reunion, string card stock rectangles on lengths of yarn and set out labels and pens. As guests arrive, they can craft personalized name tags that show the branches of the family tree.

Originally published in the June/July 2015 issue of FamilyFun magazine.

When family members come together, that's a perfect time for trading an array of treasures. Consider these ideas.

Souvenirs: Peanut fridge magnets from Georgia, Idaho fishing lures, I HEART NY buttons ... contribute some fun regional representations of your home state, and have others bring more, to exchange.

Photos: Ask guests to share extra prints, good-quality photocopies, and even collections of old family snapshots on CD. Everyone will want that one of 5-year-old Grandma riding the roller coaster at the World's Fair!

Gently Used Items: Inventive upcycling turns trash into idolized-older-cousin treasure. Families can donate their kids' best outgrown clothes, books, and toys to The Great Hand-me-down Switcheroo.

Originally published in the June/July 2015 issue of FamilyFun magazine.

A skating elephant isn't the only way to break the ice! The quirky categories of this get-to-know-you game will prompt conversation and plain old silly fun. To play, print out our bingo cards below and give one to each family member. Players circulate, searching out kin who can answer yes to a description ("Likes Lima Beans," for example), and having them sign the squares. Play continues until everyone gets a bingo (or is sick of hearing about the time Uncle Sal skinny-dipped in Schenectady).

Originally published in the June/July 2015 issue of FamilyFun magazine.

MyEvent.com: Choose from a variety of templates to build a free reunion website. Send invitations, track responses, and accept online payments or donations.

Mobile Family Tree 7: Gather everyone's info in this app, and it will generate a family tree, a historical time line, and a set of fascinating statistics to share via e-mail or social media. $14.99, iOS

stories etc.: This free app walks users through a series of questions and saves the answers via audio, video, or text onto a smartphone or tablet for a great family memento. iOS

Originally published in the June/July 2015 issue of FamilyFun magazine.