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SALT LAKE CITY — Planning your family’s reunion is a big task to take on, and anyone who has attempted it knows just how stressful and overwhelming it can be. Getting everyone involved can be a struggle, and things don't always run smoothly. However, there are a few simple things you can do to make planning easier and ensure that everyone leaves happy and is looking forward to next year. Here are some creative ideas for getting everyone involved in your next family reunion.
Create a family reunion blog. Thanks to modern technology, planning a family reunion can be a fairly simple process. With a family reunion blog, you don’t have to worry about sending dozens of invites or trying to get a hold of 40 distant relatives by phone. A blog is a great way to get a head count, or get some input on activities, dates and location. Sites like Blogger, Wordpress, Tumblr and Typepad are free and easily customizable. Posting pictures of family members or previous family reunions is a great way to stay connected year-round, and will lead to more attendees at this year’s gathering.
Assign tasks beforehand. Assign each family a fun and simple task to complete beforehand. For example, each family can be in charge of designing their own T-shirts and you can select a time to showcase each design during the reunion. Or you can put your sister's family in charge of learning everything they can about great grandma Miriam and your brother’s family is in charge of sharing a short bio about great uncle Olav, then find a time to share and talk about past relatives. People will feel involved knowing they’re contributing to the reunion.
Have a guest book. Family-reunion.com suggests buying a guest book like the ones you see at weddings — or even a plain old notebook would do — and have family members sign their names when they arrive. As the trip winds down, encourage each person write a little blurb about their favorite moment at the reunion. Collect these books at the end of each gathering and bring them back year after year. People will get a kick out of reading and reliving past memories.
Prepare a welcome message. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but spend five to 10 minutes welcoming everybody and thanking them for coming. Then run down what activities you have planned, and any other important details people should be aware of. Even if activities have been discussed previously, knowing when and where things are going to take place will help the reunion run more smoothly and prevent a buildup of idle time. It will also let people know important items, like the fact that the chocolate cake in the fridge is for Grandma Pearl’s birthday dinner on Sunday, not for everyone to munch on throughout the reunion.
Have a family scavenger hunt. This is a great way to break the ice and get everyone involved right off the bat. Create a scavenger hunt with family-related questions such as:
- Where was Grandma Tompkins born?
- Which aunt(s) had twins?
- How many grandkids lost teeth this year?
Have a variety of activities. Planning activities can be overwhelming. Keep in mind that it’s probably unrealistic to come up with a list of activities that will satisfy every attendee 100 percent. Plan one or two big activities for everyone to participate in, like bowling or a day at the beach, and then have simpler activities available for people at any time. For example, if little kids will be in attendance, come prepared with sidewalk chalk, coloring books, bubbles or a kiddie pool. For teens or adults, bring along cards, a volleyball or a dartboard. This way, when the uncles take their annual fishing trip, everyone else has other options.
Start a tradition. Having at least one consistent activity at your family reunion will give people something to look forward to each year. For example, if Uncle Paul is still raving about how his team lost last year’s annual family football game, he’s bound to come back this year for a rematch. Or if you remember how spectacular Grandpa Gil’s firework display was last summer, you can’t wait to see what he’s going to pull off this year. It can be as simple as a game of flashlight tag or telling ghost stories before bed. As long as there is a common denominator linking all family reunions past and present, people will come back.
