It’s getting close to that time of year again when the whole family gets together. You obviously want to make sure that your family reunion will be the talk of the year. Why not add a brand spanking new list of family reunion games to your repertoire?
It can be hard coming up with fresh ideas on how to keep the family reunion fun and enjoyable. We’ve come up with a list of 25 games you can play at your next one. These are broken down into categories so you always know what to do next.
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OUTDOOR FAMILY REUNION GAMES
Let’s start with the outdoor games. If the weather is nice, then you have so many options to choose from. These are our favorites you can play with all your family no matter the age or the number of players.
1. THREE-LEGGED RACE
The three legged race is extremely fun to play with the family. Simply gather players into teams of two and tie two of their legs together. I absolutely love pairing family members of different sizes to make the game even more difficult. Then each player races to the finish line on “three legs.”
2. TUG OF WAR
Tug of War is another classic. You normally play this at summer camp, but bringing it to the family reunion will make everyone happy. Simply split the family into two large teams and have them stand on each side of the rope. Now, have them pull and find out once and for all who the stronger side is. Remember, this is all fun and games, so try not to take anything too seriously.
3. CORNHOLE
Ah, cornhole, the Midwest classic. For this one, it is much better if you have an official set; however, if you don’t have one, you can use bean bags and small trash bins. Simply split into teams and take turns tossing the bean bags into the hole. The team with the highest score wins.
4. PICKLEBALL
You hear it all the time, “pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America.” Well, why not add it to the game list? Set up the net and get the game started. It is similar to tennis, but you need to score points by hitting the ball over the net with your paddle and preventing the opposing team from returning it. Check out our guide for the full list of rules.
5. WATER BALLOON TOSS
I absolutely love the water balloon toss. It helps cool you down on a hot summer day as well. Have the two players face each other and stand a few feet apart. Now, toss the balloon to your teammate. Once your teammate catches the balloon, they can take a step back. The team that has the longest distance wins. Normally, you play this one with an egg, but using water balloons is so much more fun.
6. BOCCE BALL
Bocce ball started in Italy, and it quickly spread all over Europe as a super fun lawn game. Now, the game is popular worldwide and is a great addition to the family reunion game list. To play, one player throws a small white ball (called the pallino). Then all the other players throw larger heavy balls, attempting to get their throw as close as possible to the pallino. You will then measure the distance between each ball and the pallino. You score points based on how many balls are closer. For a more detailed guide, check out our Bocce ball rules.
7. HIDE AND SEEK
Alright, now you generally think of hide and seek as a kids game. However, playing it as an adult is so much fun and really feels nostalgic. Gather the family and choose one person to be the seeker. They count to 100 while everyone else hides. Then they run around trying to find everyone. The last person to be found is the winner.
8. GIANT JENGA
- Complete Giant Stacking Tower Set: Enjoy 54 precision crafted premium hardwood...
- Original Giant Jenga Game: For 10+ years, this officially licensed company has...
- Event Game: Whether you're with friends, at a party, at work, at the bar, in...
Jenga is another one of those classics that never really gets old; then, when you make it giant, well, that just adds a new element of fun. In Jenga, you place tiles in groups of three and stack them crisscrossed on each other. Then, one player has to remove a block without knocking down the tower. Giant Jenga comes in many sizes, with one even reaching 5 feet!
9. WHEELBARROW RACE
Yet another classic game you normally see at summer camp is the wheelbarrow race. Team everyone up into teams of two. Now, one player has to grab the other person’s legs, and they have to stand on their hands. The players now race to see who can make it all the way across the lawn and be declared the winner.
10. BASEBALL
You didn’t think we would leave out regular sports, did you? Baseball is a really fun game to play with the family, especially if you keep the stakes low. Don’t be too competitive, and keep the rules to a minimum to ensure everyone has a great time. Set up the bases and get ready to play. You have to hit the ball and run the bases all the way around to score a point. Check out our guide for the full list of rules.
FAMILY REUNION BOARD GAMES
These are all the board games you can play with your family. There are way more you can choose from, but these are the best ones. It might even be a nice break from all the physical games. A great thing to do is to have multiple board games going at once, then have everyone rotate to another game after the game ends.
11. TABOO
- FAN-FAVORITE TABOO BOARD GAME: It's the classic Taboo game of unspeakable fun...
- AVOID TABOO WORDS: In the Taboo card game for adults, family and teens, race...
- MODERN AND EXCITING CARD CONTENT: The Taboo word game features fresh cards...
Taboo is a great game to play with people of all ages. Simply team up and try to get your partner to guess the word from a card without saying any of the taboo words. Play it in small or large groups and you’re sure to have a great time.
12. MONOPOLY
- FAST-DEALING PROPERTY TRADING GAME: It’s a Family Game Night staple! Players...
- BUY, SELL, AND TRADE TO WIN: Players compete to buy out neighborhoods, sell...
- BUILD HOUSES AND HOTELS: Love that feeling when an opponent lands on an owned...
If you haven’t already added this to your list of family reunion games, then I don’t know what you’re doing. Monopoly is a classic game beloved by all ages. The goal is to buy up property in the game and make all the other players go bankrupt by charging them rent when they land on your properties. Again, it should be fun, so if someone is getting a bit too into the game, maybe take a break to cool off.
13. UNO
- UNO is the classic family card game that's easy to learn and so much fun to...
- In a race to deplete your hand, match one of your cards with the current card...
- Strategize to defeat your competition with special action cards like Skips,...
We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again: Uno is the game that can make or break a relationship. Luckily, you’re playing with family, so you’re stuck with them. Players take turns lying down cards of the same color or number on a center pile. If they can’t play a card, they must draw. The fun part about Uno is the action cards. There are skip-a-turn, reverse, and the dreaded draw four cards. The player to play their last card is the winner.
14. CANDYLAND
- CLASSIC BEGINNER GAME: Do you remember playing Candy Land when you were a kid?...
- RACE TO THE CASTLE: Players encounter all kinds of "delicious" surprises as they...
- NO READING REQUIRED TO PLAY: For kids ages 3 and up, Candy Land can be a great...
We know, this is a kids board game, but it is one of the best kids board games out there. Candyland is so fun that even as an adult, you’ll enjoy it. Simply draw a card, and whatever color you choose, you move your piece to the corresponding tile. There are shortcuts, turn skips, and much more. The first to make it to the candy castle wins!
15. EXPLODING KITTENS
- THE LEGENDARY ORIGINAL MADE FOR TWO-FIVE PLAYERS: The card game that gave...
- HOURS OF HILARITY: There’ll be lots of chuckling. Rib-cracking outbursts. More...
- EXPAND THE SMILES: This Original version is a recipe for hours of fun. But those...
Exploding Kittens is probably one of the best games out there, in our opinion. From the concept to the fun artwork on the cards. In this game, you take turns drawing a card and try to avoid the exploding kittens in the deck. You get one chance to diffuse the exploding kitten, but otherwise, you lose. There are many cards in the game that allow you to peek at cards or steal from others. You might not ever want to stop playing this one.
16. THROW THROW BURRITO
- THE ULTIMATE COMBINATION: What do you get when you combine a card matching game,...
- A RECIPE FOR GLEE: A game where your quick-thinking skills are tested and you...
- BURRITO WAAARRR!: Get those antiques out of the way and prepare yourself for...
Throw Throw Burrito is from the makers of exploding kittens, so they already have a good track record. This game combines a card game with dodgeball. Take turns drawing cards and try to get three of a kind. Once you do, lay them down, and they will start an action. The actions involve grabbing the plush burrito and trying to throw it at another player. It’s like having a food fight but without all the messy cleanup.
17. SCRABBLE
- Classic work game features sleek folding carrying case with handle and two...
- Colorful gameboard features recessed game spaces
- For 2 to 4 players
Scrabble is the one for you if you’re more in the mood for a calmer family reunion game. Each player gets tiles, and you must combine them with tiles on the board to form words and earn points. The nerdier players in the family will really love this one.
18. CODENAMES
- Work together to contact all of your agents before the other team
- A perfect party game experience for game nights
- 2-8+ player (in two teams)
Codenames is great for players who have that special connection with other family members. If your brains work the same way, then you will have an advantage in this one. Split up into teams and choose one spymaster for each team. Now spread the random word cards in a 5 x 5 grid. The spymaster looks at the key that lets them know which words are theirs.
Now, they must say one word and one number to let their team know which words to guess. They are not allowed to make any other reactions or noises to help their team. The first team to guess all the words is the winner. Or if the other team chooses the assassin word.
19. CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY: FAMILY EDITION
- Our first expansion to Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition, with 300...
- The box literally glows in the dark, making it easy to find in a cave.
- Also includes bonus glow-in-the-dark stickers!
Cards Against Humanity might better suit the older crowd at the family reunion. It also might be difficult if you don’t have a very open relationship with your family. Luckily, there is a family edition. To play this game, choose one card czar to pick one of their cards that will have a statement or question with a fill-in-the-blank. Now, the rest of the players can choose one of their cards to fill in that blank. Finally, the card czar chooses the card he thinks is the funniest, and that player keeps both cards. The player with the most cards at the end of the game is the winner.
20. TIME’S UP
- The hottest party game just got hotter!
- Minutes to learn, Easy to Play in Groups. For 3+
- Winner of over 20 awards including Mensa select and game of the year
Time’s Up is a charades-style game that will have everyone at the family reunion in stitches because it is so much fun! Split everyone up into two or three teams and take 40 cards from the box, which will have random names on them. Now, one person from one team stands up and starts drawing cards. They have 30 seconds to get their teammates to guess the personality on the card using any words except the ones on the card. Once the time ends, the next team goes. After all the cards are guessed, tally the points for the first round.
You do the same for round two, but the person drawing can only use one word. Then, after the cards are guessed, tally the points. Finally, in the last round, you can’t talk; you must mime. The team with the most points wins!
FAMILY REUNION DRINKING GAMES
Ok, now you know we couldn’t leave out the drinking games. Once the kids have tired themselves out, it’s time to start these family reunion games. They all involve booze and are sure to be a fun time.
21. BEER PONG
First on this list is beer pong. It’s a simple and classic game that might even be new for some of the older family members. Setup cups in a triangle on opposite sides of a long table and fill them with booze. Now, two players, or two teams of two, stand on opposite sides of the table. The goal is to try and get ping pong balls into the opposing team’s cups. If you make it in, they must drink that cup and remove it. The first team to get all the opposing team’s cups is the winner.
22. MOST LIKELY
Most likely is a great game to play at the family reunion. Everyone sits in a circle, and one person starts. They ask a question beginning with who is most likely to…? For example, who is most likely to black out today, or who is most likely to eat the last slice of pie? Everyone then points to the player to whom they believe the question applies. Each player must drink for every finger that is pointing at them.
23. 21
21 is a game that is super simple, and you can play it literally anywhere. Start by going around and counting to 21. The player who says 21 takes a drink and can now make a rule for any number they choose. For example, “number three is now shoe.” Then the game goes around again: 1, 2, shoe, 4, 5. If anyone forgets a rule or messes up, they drink. Keep going until you feel like stopping.
24. TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
Ok, now you might think that playing two truths and a lie at a family reunion is dumb, but we promise it’s even better this way. Your family already knows you, but there may be some things they don’t expect from you, or there may be a distant family who barely knows anything about you!
Each player goes around and says three statements. Two things that are true and one that is a lie. Then, everyone has to try to guess which one is a lie by holding up one, two, or three fingers to correspond with the statement. If they guess correctly, you drink, but if they’re wrong, they drink! If you can’t think of any questions, check out our 100+ examples list.
25. WHO AM I: DRINKING EDITION
Who am I is a fantastic game to play at the family reunion. Have everyone write a random person on a Post-it note. Then everyone swaps papers and, without looking, sticks the paper on their forehead. Now, go around in a circle and ask the group yes or no questions to help you guess who your person is. If the answer to your question is yes, you can keep asking more. However, if the answer is no, then you must have a drink, and it is the next player’s turn.
If you enjoyed these games, check out our Minute to Win it games.
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