FAMILY REUNION IDEAS

HELPFUL TIPS ON PLANNING:

• Pick a date that works with most people’s schedules and stick with it – send out invitations so that you do not have to make dozens of phone calls. Send out the invitation as early as possible so that people can plan ahead.

• Delegate as much tasks as possible so that the brunt of the planning doesn’t fall on one person.

• Decide on a budget and how everything will be paid for. You can ask relatives to donate money or supplies – or simply have a registration fee for each guest to go towards the reunion expenses.

• Write down all of your planning ideas and pricing – so that you do not forget anything when it comes closer to reunion.

FAMILY REUNION GAMES/ACTIVITIES:

• Set up different sporting activities like Frisbee, golf or baseball

• Have a cook-out at a local pool, beach or park – rent a pavilion that is clearly marked – make it easy and have everyone bring a side

• Have your fun at a local amusement park

• If someone in your family has an appropriate backyard, take advantage of it - have everyone meet there!

• Rent a room at a local restaurant that can serve large parties

• Have everyone chip in their time and meet together to fix up an older relative’s home

• Stretch out in luxury and comfort at a local resort or fun hotel

• Have some relaxation at a lake or houseboat

INCLUDE ON INVITATION:

• When and where the reunion will be held – enclose a map

• How to dress

• Local airport and travel info

• Hotel options – with address, phone #’s and pricing

• Schedule and information on reunion events and any local attractions for free time

• What to bring (food, family photos, sports equipment, swimsuits, etc.)

• Registration fee, if any

• RSVP card, phone # and/or email address to include name and # of adults and children Family Reunion Game Ideas:

• Have a central place that everyone can get to easily – have out a “family tree” that has a base of names as much as you know and let all the rest of the family fill in the blanks – it will spark memories! (could use index cards attached to string, a laptop with a tree displayed, or posterboard)

• Make sure you keep the kids busy! Provide a craft table with colors, markers with books and paper, fun outdoor toys like t-balls and bats, bubbles, wagons, bikes, Frisbees, and other fun toys

• Rent a karaoke machine or borrow from a friend and see everyone’s talents shine!

• Miscellaneous adult outside games like horseshoe, croquet, putting golf, beanbag toss, etc.

• Post a large map noting where everyone lives now in what state by tacking people’s names in the appropriate area. Also, before the reunion is over, distribute the guests addresses and contact information to everyone there so that everyone can keep in contact with each other

• Have a question and answer game to see which family member knows the most family trivia – do some homework before the reunion coming up with great questions and answers to pass out at the reunion

• Ask everyone to bring a few photo albums per family and everyone can pass around throughout the reunion

• Have everyone bring their baby picture and lay it out on a table at the beginning of the reunion and have everyone try to guess “who’s who”

• Play a game of “white elephant”

• For the kids, have a drawing contest for the kids for them to draw a family member for the group and display them around the room or by a cute clothesline and clothes pins

SOMETHING COOL:

• Have everyone email you pictures as they RSVP for the reunion so that you can prepare a slide show to show everyone during an appropriate time

• Hire or designate a photographer so that you can set up a web page or scrapbook of the whole family together

• Set up a Sign-In Table with markers and name tags, schedule of events and any kind of local information that the guests may be interested in

• Set out quilt fabric squares and a fabric pen and let everyone sign their name and a well-wish – have a family member sew all squares together and present to the oldest family member

• Everyone can bring a family heirloom that has a family story together and have a “show and tell” at the reunion (remember to include that on the invitations)

• Use place cards with family “trivia” on each one as conversation starters

HIGH SCHOOL REUNION PARTY IDEAS

HIGH SCHOOL REUNION INVITATION IDEAS:

* For invitations, it’s best to do something simple!

• Do a montage of some of the class yearbook pictures on the front of your invite

• If you are not working within a budget, mail your invitations inside a time capsule

• Create a reunion website by either a blog or reunion websites and place web address on the invitation for the guests to find additional info

• Find out some information about the guests before you design the invitation – play a “Guess Who” on the front of the invitation having words like “Guess Who turned out to be a doctor?” and “Guess who turned out to be a Rock Star”…. Inside “Come (date) to find out! Your invited to your high school reunion”

HIGH SCHOOL REUNION DECORATION IDEAS:

• Decorate with your school colors!

• Scan and enlarge each guests’ senior picture and mount on a “Wall of Shame” for people to view

• At every place setting, make a time capsule decorated in the school colors and containing small items/memorabilia from the year of graduation – or articles containing major events that happened that year

• At every place setting, use high school senior pictures as the place settings for guessts to sit at - it is funny for everyone to look for their picture

• Set up an email address so that guests can email in any pictures that they have from high school – include in a slide show or print and mount as decorations around the room

• Replicate your senior prom theme – and try to copy it (but a scaled down version!)

• Decorate your tables with any items from the past – have every table different – it gets the conversation going

• Hire a DJ and play all songs from the high school years

• Have everyone bring items that reminded them of their high school years and place on a large board or table as the guests arrive so that people can view – make sure every item is labeled with a name so that the guest gets their item back

• Hang movie posters or music artists from the era of when the graduation took place

HIGH SCHOOL REUNION GAME IDEAS:

• Create name tags for each of the guests by scanning a yearbook picture of the guests’ senior year and their maiden name. For the spouse of the graduate, have the same yearbook picture with the words “I am with…” A fun game to do with the nametags is to place a set of nametags in a closed envelope and randomly give out to each guest as they come in. The guests have to try to find the rightful owner of the nametags!

• Play a slideshow of any and all high school pictures

• Take any photos from high school and copy and create a montage – laminate and use as placemats at every place setting. Also contain a list of any major events, movies, or music that happened the year of graduation.

• Place disposable cameras at every table for the guests to snap shots throughout the evening – post the pictures on the reunion website for people to view after the event (include website info in the program/book)

• Ask trivia questions (possibly obtained by the guests survey that the guest submitted) and give out door prizes for the winners

• Pass out fun prizes for “The Most Children/Grandchildren,” “Who traveled the furthest for the reunion,” “Most changed since high school,” “Least changed since high school” etc. (Ask around for sponsors to donate the gifts – especially from any guests that would want to donate the gift and get a free plug)

• Draw names and hand out door prizes

• Do some research on old teachers and find out what they are doing now – ask the guests what their guess is for each teacher and how old they are now.

• Go through the “Most Likely To’s” that printed in the yearbook and see how close the yearbook committee came out

HIGH SCHOOL REUNION FAVOR IDEAS:

• Give out a program/book as a keepsake that has addresses and email addresses of all the guests (that want to be included) – possibly include survey questions that the guests filled out before the reunion. You can have a sponsor or sponsors cover the cost and in return gets ad space in the book

• Pass out bead necklaces, hats or lei’s in your school colors and hand out to each guest as they arrive

• Pass out CD’s that include hits from your high school years – customize the label with your alma mater and school colors