Pie Eating contest—see who can eat a pie the fastest {or substitute another food such as hotdog or pizza}.
Family Auction—everyone brings an item to be bid on {you could also do this as a silent auction}. The money that is raised can go towards next year’s family reunion. Family artifacts are great items to bring for the auction.
Jeopardy—create a list of categories and questions about members of the family, select a handful of contestants and paly jeopardy.
Ice Breaker—write questions on a squeeze ball or tongue depressor, have each person pick one and answer a question. Also with the ball, they could bounce it about from one person to another to answer a ball.
Family Tree games—have the family create the family picture and take pictures. You can also do other games such as everyone born in a specific decade or month gather together, occupations, youngest to oldest, each name that starts with each letter, shortest to tallest, etc.
Storytime—do you have an elder that is a great storyteller? Have him/her share stories of the family with everyone else.
Pictionary—make a list of family members or events in the family {not too difficult, but for example an ancestor that came over on a ship, a coon hat {Davy Crockett}, a gun, etc.}. One at a time allow family members to come up and draw what you’ve written until the family member or event has been guessed.
Ice Breaker Ball—these are available for purchase for under $15. Family members can sit in a circle, throw back and forth and get to know one another better as they answer questions about their favorite movie, book, vacation, etc. Here are links to two different versions to try: first and second.
Family History Skits—using the family history develop a skit or play relating these stories. If possible, dress in vintage clothing and inquire about holding where the events took place {house, church, school, etc}. If that is not possible, try to set the stage to look like the area where the event took place.
Name that Person—show a portion of the face of a family member. Allow others to guess who that family member is. With each incorrect guess, show a little more of the person’s face. {You may want to set this up on a computer in advance.} Think of this as the equivalent to Name that Tune. You could also use baby pictures of those in attendance {you’d need to get these in advance}.
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