The long, sunny days of summer can inspire outdoor barbeques, trips to the beach and creative ways to keep cool. It’s also a great time to plan a family gathering, reunion or special event enjoying the quality time spent creating memories that last a lifetime. If you’re looking for family reunion ideas, we’ve got plenty that will help you reconnect both during and after the event.
How to Plan a Family Vacation
As you’d probably assume, planning a family gathering takes some real effort. While a weekend getaway or full-blown vacation is a great way to leave your cares behind, sometimes a day-long event is just better logistically. Either way, one thing’s for sure – poor planning can stall you before you even start. Here are some tips to help you come up with the best ideas, as well as the best places for family reunions.
- Choose an agreeable location.
Summer is the best time for family get-togethers because there are fewer school and work-related stresses holding you back. It’s also the ideal time to share quality fun, relaxation and recreation. Childhood homes or towns where family members grew up can evoke strong memories and spark conversation. If a childhood home is no longer in the family, you could meet up at a nearby park or recreational facility to rekindle the memories. You may even want to plan a weekend getaway or trip to a new location everyone would enjoy. One of the best places for family reunions is a local beach town where there’s usually plenty to see and do. Keep everyone’s age and capabilities in mind. The less structured and more relaxed the trip, the better.
- Provide activities for all ages.
A family gathering should be enjoyable for everyone. Catalysts for bond-building time and having fun are so important when it comes to how to plan a family vacation or get-together. Consider:
- Ball games, board games or relay races
- Swimming pool activities
- Bike rides or walking tours of the town
- Beach time
- Trivia
- Kite flying
- Charades
- Talent showcase
Whoever is organizing the reunion should keep lists and agendas, regardless of whether or not you stick to them. Having a plan is better than sitting around wondering what to do.
- Bring along family photo albums and videos.
One of the best family reunion ideas is to incorporate photos and videos. After all, nothing starts conversations and brings smiles like great photos or home video footage. While you’re planning, invite family members to bring old photo albums and home videos, as well as current pictures and footage. As you’re watching the clips and sharing the pics, you’ll find that running commentary adds to the fun. Naturally, you’ll want to take plenty of new photos and video to remember this occasion.
- Provide T-shirts and/or mementos.
If your family is especially large, it’s a great idea to create custom shirts with everyone’s names to identify family members, especially if you meet in crowded venues. Do you have a family motto or slogan? Consider incorporating that into the design as well. They’ll be great souvenirs of your event down the road. Another creative family gathering memento could be to have everyone bring one homemade recipe with them, then create a family recipe book to be passed down the generations.
- Collect contact information to keep in touch.
While everyone is together, pass around a sheet of paper to gather everyone’s preferred email address, phone number and home address. Designate someone to send the list of contact information to everyone in attendance. It’s one of the most important family reunion ideas because that list will come in handy for future get-togethers, and for sharing family updates and photos/videos from the day.
If you’re wondering how to play a family vacation, remember that it’s all about shared experiences. Once you’ve nailed down what you all agree is one of the best places for family reunions, the activities and the invitees, all that’s left to do is enjoy!