10 Ways to Make Family Reunions Fun for Kids

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Image of children posing for a photo. Text superimposed reads "Making Family Reunions Fun for Kids"

Make your next family reunion kid-friendly and family history-focused with these fun activities for the younger set.

1. Create a Kids Section in Your Family Newsletter or Website

This can include information on activities planned for them, plus word scrambles or trivia related to your family history. You can reveal the answers at the reunion or offer prizes for the first correct answer.

2. Build a History Display

Highlight an ancestor’s experience—such as immigrating to America or participating in the California Gold Rush. Let kids help gather photos, maps and information; download music from your family’s country of origin; and create a fact sheet about your ancestor’s experience.

3. Create a Giant Family Tree

Print one from your genealogy software, or draw your pedigree on butcher paper. Use it at the reunion to remind everyone how they’re related to each other.

4. Have Show-and-Tell

Families bring an heirloom, photo or other memorabilia and share a story about it.

5. Celebrate Family Recipes with a Bake-off.

Kids can enter or be judges, then create cookbooks with all the recipes.

6. Play Genealogy-Themed Trivial Pursuit

Make a quiz using questions from your research. Or turn the game into an icebreaker: Give each person a printed list of questions to answer by asking others.

7. Plan Excursions

See what living history museums or experiences are nearby. For more on living history museums, see our article, “Plan a Visit to a Living History Museum“.

8. Play Like Your Ancestors

Research the time period and play “old-timey” games. This can include marbles, checkers, hopscotch, horseshoes, baseball or other games unique to your heritage.

9. Create Scrapbook Pages

Bring gluesticks, stickers, family photos, fun borders—anything to liven up a scrapbook. Back home, scan the pages and upload to a photo book website. Share the link via email so everyone can order a copy.

10. Ask Them for Help

For example, an older child could ask around to verify contact information. He or she could ask for a fun fact, too, such as everyone’s favorite color.