Together Again
Fun Activities For All Your Relatives
by Charlotte Goodman McEwan

Sunny days, star filled nights, fireflies, watermelon, and . . . relatives! Yes, summer is here again. Whether you have an official family reunion planned or just a few families getting together, summer is a time to catch up with those you haven’t seen in a while. After the hugs, kisses, and Aunt Sophie’s "My, how you’ve grown," whip out a few activities to make the time with your extended family fun and memorable.

If you are in a location of heritage (grandparents hometown, etc.) your hunt can focus on items that have to do with family history. Divide into teams and give each a list of challenges. These might include taking a picture in front of Grandma’s elementary school, or getting a napkin from the hamburger place where Mom and Dad had their first date.

If you are not in a location of family historical significance, challenges could be issued that have to do with the geographical location such as buying a subway token, taking a picture by the statue in the city park, or buying four worms from the night crawler stand down the road. Designate a location for teams to meet when they are done. Have teams share their experiences and reward the winners.

Favorite Recipe Cook-Off

Ever wondered about the secret to Grandma’s delicious rolls? Have you always wanted to ask cousin Melissa for that fudge recipe and you keep forgetting? Have a favorite recipe cook-off. Each participant makes his or her special recipe to share with the family. Then collect the recipes to be compiled into a family cookbook along with any story that may go with it. The end result can be given at Christmas and will be enjoyed for years to come.

Family Photo Fun

Scan old family photos and make a DVD for each family. Take new photos and get them printed. Then, have a scrapbook party toward the end of your visit to celebrate your time together. If you have anyone really computer savvy in the family (think teenager), have him or her create a computer slide show of your family photos that you can watch on your last night together.

If you’re really on top of things, create a slide show with photos family members have sent in before you get together so you can get caught up on what you’ve all been doing throughout the year.

Make a Time Capsule

Where will you all be five or ten years from now? Make your predictions and include them in your family time capsule. Put in the front page of a newspaper, a photo of all of you together, some favorite recipes and jokes, handprints, a few mementos of your family time together, ticket stubs, etc. Have everyone contribute something. Give the time capsule to a responsible family member (who won’t be tempted to peek before the designated time) or bury it. (Just remember to mark it so that it is not lost, and remember to take it with you if you move.)

Create a Family Tree

Grab some duct tape or chalk and head for a large open space such as a field or parking lot. Create a family tree starting with a common ancestor and label each branch. This is an interactive activity in which everyone takes his or her place on the family tree. Suddenly relationships such as “first cousin once removed” start to make a lot of sense.

After, go back as far as you can. Bring a genealogy sheet and go up the family tree by assigning family members to represent the names of ancestors like great grandparents, great aunts, etc.

Family Trivia Quiz Game

Prepare questions about different family members. “Do you know what kind of airplane Grandpa flew in WWII?” or “What sports did cousin Paul play in high school?” or “Where did Aunt Carrie get her MBA?” Form teams and give prizes to both participants and winners.

Family Service Project

It’s time to give back to parents or grandparents for all they have done for the family. Pull some weeds, paint the house, and do repairs. Showing love by doing service is one of the greatest gifts you can give.

If grandparents are part of a condominium complex complete with lawn service, do a service project together for the community. Serve lunch at a homeless shelter, tie quilts, make kits for a humanitarian organization, or help a cousin with his Eagle project.

Heritage Dinner and Celebration

Celebrate your heritage by sharing traditional customs and, of course, food. Do you have roots in Scotland, Hawaii, or Poland? Hire a bagpipe player, hula dancer, or teach everyone how to polka. Decorate with the country in mind and serve food accordingly. With likely several nationalities in the family tree, have each meal focus on a separate country.

Games, Games, Games

Remember when you were young and neighborhood kids gathered for games of Kick the Can, Capture the Flag, Hide and Seek, Sardines, Dodgeball, and Red Rover? This time make it a family affair. You won’t run as fast as you once did, and you may not fit underneath your parents’ hedge like you used to, but you just might teach the Game Boy generation what real fun is! Don’t forget Red Light Green Light, Duck Duck Goose, a tug-of-war, three-legged races, and a gunny-sack race.

Family Talent Show

Maybe you have one of those incredibly talented families. Or maybe you are all pretty average. It doesn’t matter which. Showcase whatever you talents you have: Uncle Max in his clown costume doing magic tricks, Christiana singing a song from her school play, or Aunt Julie lip-syncing her favorite oldies. Make a program that can be kept for scrapbooks and take lots of photos. Pass the popcorn and enjoy the show!

This is Your Life

Honor the life of a grandparent or other elderly family member by doing a “This is Your Life” show. A take-off of the once popular television show, the honoree is surprised by visits from several important “guests” from the past. The guests, who are played by various family members, recall important milestones from the person’s life and can include old school buddies, teachers, employers, relatives, friends, and pets.

Summer will never come again in just this same way. Cousins will grow up and go their separate paths. It may be a summer of goodbyes to some. It may be a summer when past differences can be dissolved into love and reconciliation. This can be the summer when traditions will pass from one generation to the next. This summer can be the one to remember.

LDS Living Magazine