Reunion games
35 Family Reunion Games
That Actually Get Played
Games are the glue of a good reunion. They pull the teens off their phones, put cousins on the same team, and give the uncles something to argue about later. Every game below includes rules, what you need, how long it takes, and who it works for.
Full reunion planning guideBefore you pick
Pick five games, not fifteen.
The most common mistake is planning too many games. People need breathing room. A reunion is not summer camp. Pick one headline game for the afternoon, two or three medium games, and one or two quick icebreakers for early arrivals. That is enough.
Match the weather
Outdoor games need a rain backup. If the forecast looks bad 72 hours out, move the competitive games inside and pivot the outdoor plan to something flexible.
Mix age ranges
Pick at least one game the youngest kids can play and one the elders can judge or call. Make sure teens have one game that is not embarrassing for them.
Keep rules short
If the rules take more than two minutes to explain, the game is too complicated. Write a one-page rules sheet and tape it to the cooler.
Prep the night before
Pre-fill the water balloons. Pre-cut the trivia cards. Pre-label the buckets. Day-of prep steals energy from the actual event.
Outdoor games
Games that work in the park or backyard.
1. Branch Olympics
Divide into teams by family line. Five events: three-legged race, water balloon toss, egg and spoon, sack race, tug-of-war. Keep score on a poster board. Time: 60-90 min. Materials: rope, balloons, eggs, spoons, sacks or pillowcases.
2. Tug-of-war
Classic. Kids versus adults, or branch versus branch. One heavy rope, a marker for the center line. Best of three. Time: 15 min. Materials: 30-foot rope, chalk or tape for the line.
3. Water balloon toss
Partners stand close, toss the balloon, step back after each catch. Last dry pair wins. Time: 20 min. Materials: 100 pre-filled water balloons in a bucket.
4. Cornhole tournament
Bracket-style cornhole. Teams of two. Best of three boards to advance. Prize for the winning team (a family trophy, a gift card, or a dollar-store medal). Time: 60-90 min. Materials: two cornhole sets, bracket printed or on a whiteboard.
5. Kickball
One of the few games that truly works across ages 8 to 80. Softer rules: the elders kick from home plate, everyone else plays standard. Time: 45-60 min. Materials: one kickball, four bases, an empty field.
6. Water balloon dodgeball
Two lines facing each other, 20 feet apart. Each team gets 30 balloons. On 'go', launch. Last dry team wins. Works best in hot weather. Time: 15 min. Materials: 200 pre-filled balloons, two large buckets.
7. Three-legged race
Partners tie one of their legs together with a bandana. Race to the finish line and back. Mix ages - pair a 12-year-old with an uncle. Time: 20 min. Materials: 10 bandanas, a clear lane.
8. Bean bag relay
Teams of 4. Each member carries a beanbag on their head across a 30-foot course and back, then passes to the next. If it drops, you start over. Time: 20 min. Materials: 4 beanbags, open space.
9. Frisbee golf
Set up 9 'holes' around the park using trees, trash cans, or lamp posts as targets. Par each hole. Score on a card. Teams of 2. Time: 60 min. Materials: 4-6 frisbees, a homemade scorecard.
10. Giant Jenga
A giant Jenga set (buy one for $40 or make one from 54 2x4 blocks). Everyone plays. Winner is whoever does not topple the tower. Time: 20-30 min per round. Materials: giant Jenga set.
Indoor games
Games for rental halls, living rooms, and rain plans.
11. Branch Trivia
Write 30 questions about the family. Who was born first, Aunt Carol or Uncle James? What year did Grandpa move to Detroit? Teams by branch. Read one question at a time. First hand up with the right answer scores. Time: 45 min. Materials: printed questions, pens, paper for team names.
12. Family Feud
Survey 20 family members ahead of time with questions like 'name a dish at every reunion' or 'name a family nickname.' Compile top answers. Play the official Family Feud format with two teams. Time: 45 min. Materials: a buzzer or bell, printed answers hidden behind a folded paper.
13. Cousin Karaoke
Rent a karaoke machine for $50, or use a Bluetooth speaker and a YouTube karaoke channel. Keep the mic open. The worse someone sings, the louder the cheers. Time: runs all night. Materials: karaoke machine or speaker plus mic.
14. Memory Match
Print pairs of old family photos onto cards (index card size). Lay them face down in a grid. Classic memory match game. Works with kids, works with elders. Time: 20-30 min. Materials: 40 photo cards (20 matching pairs).
15. Charades - family edition
Categories are family-specific: 'family inside jokes', 'something Grandma says', 'a cousin's mannerism.' Two teams. 60 seconds per turn. Time: 45 min. Materials: slips of paper in a bowl, a timer.
16. Pictionary with family themes
Words to draw: 'the house on Elm Street,' 'Uncle Ray's truck,' 'the 2010 reunion cake disaster.' Two teams. One drawer, one minute, team guesses. Time: 30 min. Materials: whiteboard or big pad, markers, words in a bowl.
17. Two truths and a family lie
Each adult shares three statements about themselves. Two true, one false. The family votes. It is stunning how many secrets come out. Time: 30 min. Materials: just the willingness to play.
18. Bingo - family facts edition
Create bingo cards with squares like 'has been to all 50 states,' 'was born in December,' 'has more than three siblings.' People walk around asking each other until they fill a row. First to bingo wins. Time: 30 min. Materials: printed cards, pens, a prize.
Kids games
Games for the under-12 crowd.
Kids need their own track of games. They get bored during long adult activities, and they need something structured so parents can talk. Designate one adult as kids' activity lead for the day.
19. Scavenger hunt
Print a list of 15 things to find: a yellow leaf, a smooth rock, a feather, an acorn, a dandelion. First team back with everything wins. Mix in family items: 'find someone wearing purple,' 'find Uncle Kevin.' Time: 30 min. Materials: printed lists, a bag for each kid.
20. Egg and spoon race
Kids line up with a plastic spoon holding an egg (hard-boiled or plastic). Race to the line and back. If the egg drops, go back to start. Time: 15 min. Materials: plastic eggs, plastic spoons.
21. Musical chairs
Classic. One fewer chair than players. Music stops, grab a chair. Works for ages 4 to 10. Use a Bluetooth speaker for music. Time: 15 min. Materials: chairs, music.
22. Duck duck goose
Ages 3 to 7 love it. Circle up, one kid is 'it,' walks around tapping heads saying 'duck,' then picks one 'goose' who chases. Time: runs as long as they want. Materials: none.
23. Pin the tail on the family
Like pin the tail on the donkey, but use a photo of a family member (a good-humored one). Kids are blindfolded and pin a paper tail. The uncle photo works especially well. Time: 20 min. Materials: printed photo, paper tails, blindfold, tape.
24. Sidewalk chalk contest
Give each kid a chunk of sidewalk and a handful of chalk. Theme: 'draw our family.' Let the elders judge. Everyone gets a participation ribbon. Time: 30 min. Materials: sidewalk chalk, a flat surface.
Teen games
Games teens will not roll their eyes at.
Teens are the hardest age group at a reunion. They do not want to look uncool, they do not want to play with the little kids, and they are allergic to anything that feels forced. The trick is to give them something that is slightly competitive, slightly technical, and gives them a reason to use their phone (which they are already on anyway).
25. Photo scavenger hunt
A list of photos to capture: 'a cousin wearing the reunion shirt inside out,' 'a selfie with someone over 70,' 'a funny action shot.' First team to submit all photos wins. Uses their phones, which they already have. Time: 60 min. Materials: printed list, a group chat or hashtag for submissions.
26. TikTok dance contest
Split into teams (teens plus one game adult). Each team picks a TikTok dance, teaches it to the group, and performs. Elders judge. Play the music on a loud speaker. Time: 45 min. Materials: speaker, an open space.
27. Spikeball or Roundnet
The yellow trampoline game that has taken over parks. Teams of two. Athletic, fast, and currently cool. Time: ongoing. Materials: Spikeball set ($70 online).
28. Mafia or Werewolf
The classic group deception game. 10 to 20 players. Everyone gets a role. Mafia kills someone each 'night,' the town votes during the 'day.' Best played around a campfire or after dinner. Time: 45 min. Materials: printed role cards.
29. Heads Up! with family themes
The app game where you hold the phone on your forehead and guess the word. Make a custom deck of family inside jokes and family member names. Works on any phone. Time: 30 min. Materials: one phone, the Heads Up app.
30. Jackbox Games
Party Pack 10 is the current go-to. Plays on a TV or projector, everyone uses their phone as a controller. Drawful, Quiplash, Trivia Murder Party. Great for the 10 PM slot when the little kids are in bed. Time: 60-90 min. Materials: TV, Jackbox game ($30 one-time), WiFi.
All-ages
Games that work from 6 to 86.
These are the unicorns. The games where Grandma is on the same team as the 9-year-old and both are having a good time. Build your schedule around one or two of these.
31. Family Feud (repeat)
Age-proof because everyone can shout answers. No athletic ability needed. The 8-year-old and the 80-year-old can both guess 'fried chicken' when the survey says 'name a food at every cookout.'
32. Cookoff
Three to five family members compete in a category: best mac and cheese, best pie, best BBQ sauce. Blind judging by the rest of the family. Everyone tastes. Everyone votes. Winner gets bragging rights and a trophy. Time: ongoing throughout the day. Materials: dishes, voting cards, a tally sheet.
33. Family awards
Not a game technically, but it plays like one. Traveled the farthest. Most kids. Longest married. Newest family member. Print certificates. Hand them out during the meal. Ten minutes of pure family joy.
34. Guess the baby picture
Ask every adult to send in a baby photo ahead of time. Print them and number them. People walk around with a sheet guessing who is who. Winner has the most right. Time: drop-in all day, reveal during dessert. Materials: 20-30 printed baby photos, numbered.
35. Campfire story circle
After dark, sit around a fire or lantern. Go around the circle. Each person tells one family memory, one minute max. Elders start. Kids finish. This is the moment people remember years later. Time: 45 min. Materials: a fire or centerpiece, a phone to record.
How to schedule them
A sample game schedule for a one-day reunion.
Bingo family-facts edition runs during arrivals. Cards on every table. Low-pressure icebreaker.
Lunch. No games. Let people eat and catch up.
Group photo (five minutes of crowd control).
Branch Olympics. The headline event. 60-90 minutes. Five events, everyone plays.
Kids' scavenger hunt runs while adults rest. Teens start a Spikeball or photo hunt.
Branch Trivia or Family Feud in the pavilion. Indoor-weather safe.
Family awards. Ten minutes of certificates and applause.
Dinner. No games.
Cousin Karaoke or Guess the Baby Picture reveal.
Campfire story circle if you are in a place that allows a fire.
Shopping list
The all-purpose reunion games shopping list.
If you are running five or six of these games, here is the kit that covers most of them. Budget $150 to $250 total.
200 water balloons (plus a filler attachment)
4 beanbags and 2 cornhole boards
30-foot rope (tug-of-war)
6 plastic eggs and plastic spoons
8 bandanas (three-legged race, blindfolds)
2 kickballs or soft playground balls
4 frisbees
1 giant Jenga set (or DIY from 2x4s)
Sidewalk chalk (multi-pack)
Karaoke speaker plus mic
Whiteboard or flip pad with markers
Index cards and a Sharpie set
Trophy or ribbons (dollar store works)
Paper for name tags and team labels
Plan it with Grove
Games work best when someone actually owns them.
Grove gives you a task list, a day-of schedule, and a page everyone can see. Assign the trivia game to Cousin Rachel. Assign Branch Olympics to Uncle Mike. Grove reminds them the week before. No more “wait, who is running the games?” two hours into the reunion.
Pick five games. Assign them. Run the day.
Grove keeps your schedule, your task list, and your day-of page in one place so the games actually happen.
Start planning your reunion