A family reunion is a special event where everyone gets to reunite and meet with their immediate and extended families. One of the best ways to make family outings more fun and memorable is by planning some family reunion outdoor games or activities that everyone will enjoy.
Planning a family reunion? Here are some fun family reunion games to consider for a great event:
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Table of Contents
Family Reunion Outdoor Games
1. Tug of War
Tug of War is one of the best outdoor games for the whole family. It’s easy to set up; all you need is a long heavy rope and two teams. Next, split everyone into two teams. Be careful when you put people in groups so that the strongest family members don’t fall into the same group.
Once you have two teams, create a mark to determine where the knot (or flag) must pass for a team to be named the winner. To play the game, have the two teams pull the rope until the winning team can pull the other to the opposite side.
2. Egg Race
The egg and spoon race is a great way to find out who has a perfect balance! This game involves running while holding a spoon with an egg. The first person to get to the finish line without the egg hitting the floor is the winner of the game. It can be fun to use actual eggs, but that can be messy, so it’s best to use plastic eggs.
3. Hula Hoop
A hula hoop can be so entertaining for a family reunion and easy to play too. Get some hula hoops and have participants swing them around until you the last person is standing. You can add more hoops to make it more difficult as the game progresses. To make it more competitive, you can create teams and have each team compete with one other. Make sure nobody breaks their hip!
4. Baby Picture Guess
A fun way to get everyone involved in the family reunion outdoor games is by hosting a baby picture game. To do this, you must ask every family member to bring baby pictures of themselves.
Have the names of the owner behind each photograph and place them on a bulletin board. Let everyone guess the owner of every picture, and the winner is the person that gets the most correct answers.
5. Charades
Charade is a classic family game that will get people laughing and, at the same time, competitive.
Have people in teams and get to describe different things like celebrities, animals, movies, or even other family members. The main rule of this game is that players can not describe using words.
6. Cornhole
Cornhole is one of the perfect classic games you can consider for your next family reunion. This game requires two teams with two players each, where each player stands at opposite ends of a rectangular box filled with holes. The players take turns throwing bean bags at their opponent’s cornhole.
7. Spikeball
Ball games like spikeball are perfect for family members of all age groups. In this game, two teams will try to keep a small ball from touching the ground by bouncing it off a small trampoline. There are two teams, and the rules are similar to volleyball.
One team “serves” by hitting the ball off the trampoline, and the returning team has up to 3 hits between them (think bump, set, spike) to return the ball back onto the net. The rally continues until a team can’t return the ball onto the net within their three touches.
8. Sack Race
One of the fun games for family gatherings is racing in a potato sack. Get participants into a sack and have them hop their way to the finish line without falling.
You can also turn your sack race into a relay race by splitting everyone into two groups, and the first person from each team runs the race. Once they are done, the next person gets into the sack and hops to the finish line until everyone on the team gets in. We recommend using king size pillow cases if sacks aren’t available.
9. Three Legged Race
Another popular game for family reunions is a three-legged race where you tie the middle legs of two partners together so they can run as a team. Partners need to support one another until they reach the finish line, so this game requires a lot of teamwork and cooperation.
10. Water Balloon Toss
Water balloon toss is one of the best group games for family reunion outings. You fill up water balloons, have partners stand 2 feet apart, and toss the water balloon facing each other.
The players should take a step back with every throw, and the winner is whoever gets the balloon to the farthest distance. The game is entertaining because the balloon may burst and splash water everywhere when the players throw.
11. Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt is a perfect game for large families and groups. In this game, you will create a list of specific items that players need to find from the surroundings. You can make it more fun by including tasks like getting a selfie with a family member who has traveled to 20 countries or taking a selfie with a family member who was once a cheerleader.
You can also hide items around the house and have the players look for them by designing clues. The player that finds most of the hidden objects is the winner.
12. Obstacle Course
Ready for one of the most adventurous family reunion ideas? Build a fun obstacle course in your own backyard with materials like rope, tires, jump ropes, hoops, boxes, and so on. This game will require a lot of your creativity to make it challenging and fun for the participants.
13. No Hands Watermelon Challenge
One of the best family reunion ideas for all age groups is the watermelon eating challenge. In this game, you are to cut the watermelon into equal halves and have players eat without their hands. The winner is whoever finishes the fastest.
You can play two rounds with the older family members for round one and the young ones in the next round. And it doesn’t have to be a watermelon, you can also use any food or fruits for your eating contest; pineapples, pies, tacos, cupcakes, anything!
14. Outdoor Giant Jenga
The older family members and younger children will enjoy the giant version of the Jenga game. Giant Jenga is perfect for outdoor family games, and the best part is you can even create Jenga blocks yourself if you don’t have one at home.
Just grab some 2x4s or sturdy lumber and cut them into about 54 Jenga blocks. Set up the blocks until you form a high and stable tower, and have players pull out blocks and stack them on top. Whoever causes the tower to collapse is out of the game. The game continues until only one player is left.
15. Ping Pong Toss
Ping Pong is one of the most popular family reunion outdoor games. All you need to set for the game is a large table, plastic cups, and balls.
Arrange the cups in a triangular shape on each end of the table and fill them up with water for balance. Players are to pick a spot and then try to bounce the ball off the table, so it gets into the cup. You remove every cup that gets a ball in it until no cup is left. Each player will have between 5-10 chances, and the winner is whoever fills all the cups the fastest.
An alternative option is to assign different points to each cup so that once the ball lands in a cup, the player gets the number of points marked on it. The winner is the one who gets the highest accumulated points.
16. Family Talent Show
Another good idea for the entire family is a talent show where people get to display their singing, dancing, poetry, drawing, and other skills they may have. For a talent show display, it’s best to discuss with the family members beforehand so they can prepare their performances before the day.
17. Family Trivia
Trivia games are always fun for large groups! You can design questions around your family history or stories to test people’s knowledge of the family and get them to learn more about each other. Consider asking questions about the family tree, family heritage, or individual family members, like, “Which of the family members here has a picture with Ryan Reynolds?”
18. Pinata Bash
Pinatas are fun game ideas perfect for younger children and even adults. Fill your pinata with gifts, toys, sweets, and treats and hang it up so players can take turns hitting it with a stick until it breaks open. Consider blindfolding the players to make the competition more challenging.
19. Outdoor Movie Night
Spend quality time with your family by having a fun outdoor movie night! Set up the projector and blankets and pick a movie everyone will enjoy. You can create a poll before the day to have people vote for the film they want to see.
20. Award Night
A family award night is perfect both for outdoor and indoor games. Give awards celebrating every family member’s unique achievements, traits, or skills, and make sure the awards go around. You can issue a certificate, get prizes or design your trophy awards using plastic cups and paints.
Have You Tried Any Of These Family Reunion Outdoor Games?
Reunions are a great time to create memories, and it’s important to organize many fun ideas so everyone can enjoy themselves. Most of the games highlighted on this list are perfect for every family reunion, and you can tailor them to fit your family’s interests and size. For more fun, consider combining a mix of different games and activities that will appeal to everyone.