How can kids keep entertained during family reunions?

Kids can be tricky. It really all depends on their age. Young children are usually content with games and such geared towards their age group. You can find plenty of great deals on board games at places like Wal-mart, Target or even K-Mart. Older kids are a bit harder. They want to be a part of the adult discussions but may not have a lot of patience. You should try to include them in conversations but also give them activities that they can do. You may want to think about a complex scavenger hunt that involves the kids by getting help from the older relatives. It is a great way for the kids to bond with the adults and the adults can have fun too.

How much should I budget for the family reunion?

If you are planning on paying for the full cost of the family reunion then you need to start first by deciding how much you are willing to spend. Far too often people start buying things for their reunion and before they know it, they have spent way too much. You have to make sure you set a firm budget and then work within those means. And in actuality your budget is going to largely depend on how many family members are going to be there. If you are paying for the decorations, the food and the entertainment then it is not unreasonable to ask that out of town family members pay for their own accommodations. A small family reunion is going to cost you around $500 depending on how lavish you want it. But $500 is not much money to spend on food and all of the sundry costs that will add up. The more people you add the more it is going to cost. You can average the food amount to about $5.00 per person for something fairly simple.

Where can I have my family’s reunion?

You can hold family reunions just about anywhere. You just have to make sure that there is enough space for everyone and that includes places for them to sit. An ideal location for a small family reunion is at someone’s house. That way you do not have to rent a place for the event. If it is going to be a large family reunion then you may need to look at parks or conference centers that rent out large rooms.

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Karaoke is another classic idea for family reunion fun and inter-generational bonding. There are many ways to facilitate a bar-style karaoke event. If one of your family’s youngsters has a Playstation 3, Wii or Xbox, then they can hook up the Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Sing Star or Karaoke Revolution Party game. Another option is to rent a bona fide karaoke machine for the day. For instance, www.nationwidekaraoke.com will rent you a system with two microphones and over 1,000 songs for just $49/weekend. However, if you think you may be using this karaoke machine again to create future family reunion memories, then you may want to simply buy one for $79 to $200. Some top-selling models at www.amazon.com include the Memorex Sing Stand, the Singing Machine SMG-137, the Singing Machine STVG-535 and the Singing Machine STVG-999 Pedestal Karaoke Machine. You can be sure there will be lots of laughs once your family members begin to belt out their favorite hit songs!

Some families planning family reunion events like to host a little awards ceremony. This can be a simple idea, where certificates or trophies are presented or it can be pretty elaborate to rival the big awards shows. For instance, you could write up little speeches about each award and create your own video to go along with the awards. The family reunion planner host might say, “This next award goes out to the person who traveled the furthest. And our nominees are… Grandma Rose, who came all the way from Santa Monica, California, Uncle Charlie who comes to us from Minneapolis, Minnesota and Cousin Victor from Seattle, Washington.” Up on the video screen would show a picture of all three family members, along with their locations. Then, the announcer may continue: “And the winner is… Grandma Rose, who traveled a total of 278 miles to be here today! Grandma Rose, come on up to receive your award!” The winning recipient can then give a funny acceptance speech to entertain the crowd. Other awards could go out to the oldest family member, the youngest family member, the most musically inclined, the most melodramatic, the funniest or the newest family member.

Family history trivia is great to include when planning family reunion events and games. Before the gathering, ask each family member to give you 3-5 trivia “facts” about themselves and other family members. At the reunion, divide family members into teams and begin reading questions. Some might say: “I once played tuba in high school. Who am I?” Or “Which country did Great-Great Grandpa Brown emigrate from?” Or “True or False – Grandma O’Sullivan was the youngest of 8 children?” Perhaps one day you can assemble all these facts into a book about family reunions as a memorable keepsake.

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Family Reunion Organizer (www.family-reunion.com/organizer/index.htm) is one of the most popular software programs on the market for planning family reunions. After an easy CD-ROM installation, you’ll be able to enter the name of your gathering and user information, entering the reunion planner’s name, address, phone number and family reunion website information. Next, you can build your family address book with names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, personal websites and notes sections. Later on, you will be able to use this address book to create family reunion invitations, send out Christmas cards and issue reminders. Next you can create a survey to send out to family members, asking for reunion ideas. You will also get some advice from your program on how to create a theme, plan activities, decide upon food and order decorations.

Another family reunion planning software program was released by Fimark (www.fimark.net/family-reunion-planner.html) for $45 and was rated “Most Popular Software” by CNET in 2007. When getting started, you’ll find the “how to organize a family reunion” tutorial a helpful overview. You’ll get planning time lines, budget calculators, committee assignment sheets, a site location sheet, meal planners, hotel booking help, family tree creator, a t-shirt roster, a family reunion website, reunion name tags, invitations/flyers/postcards, a task scheduling worksheet, a family reunion booklet maker, dinner table place cards, custom envelope designs, mapping and more.

Family Origins 10.0 is an additional family reunion planning software program to consider. You can download a free 15-day trial at www.formalsoft.com/index.htm. With this software, you can create a custom family tree, which includes pictures, family facts, relationship types, dates and places. You’ll have access to dozens of lists, such as personal timelines, statistics, birthday/anniversary reminder lists, special place lists and addresses. In essence, you will be creating a comprehensive database of everyone in your family line to pass down to future generations for years to come. Using the scrap-booking feature, you’ll have no trouble creating your own creative family reunion gifts. It’s no wonder their website calls this program “the fun and easy way to preserve your family history.”

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If it’s your first time planning a family reunion cruise, then you might feel a little nervous that someone in the family will have a problem with your plan or you may worry that a cruise may fall beyond time and money budgeting for some family members. To stay flexible, try planning your family reunion vacation 18 months in advance or opting for a shorter 3-4 day cruise instead of the full week. Another good idea for including families with kids is to make arrangements over the Christmas holidays when everyone is out of school. Many families also like spending their holidays on a cruise ship because it cuts down on the hassle of cooking, cleaning, bouncing to several different homes and driving in poor weather conditions.

The best way to plan a destination family reunion is to stick to the basics and not over-stress. Focus on the cruise line and family reunion location. Be sure the cruise line knows you’re planning to make this a reunion and travel together. Don’t worry about shore excursions, dining times or other minute details beforehand. It’s best to see what everyone is up for when the time comes, but you could email everyone with updates and details to get them excited, such as which shore excursions are available, which port stops are on the itinerary and when family members must book by to receive the promotional rates. Not surprisingly, a lot of planners go with a travel agent to get the best deals.

There is much to see and do aboard a family reunion ship adventure. Kids will love the arcades, supervised games, theater experiences, fashion shows, cookie baking, ice-cream-and-pajama-parties, karaoke and computer classes aboard Crystal Cruises. Disney Cruises offer unparalleled activities for kids, while parents can relax in kids-free zones like the spa or fancy restaurants, giving them a chance to catch up with other family members. The whole family can learn from the National Wildlife Federation, Miami Seaquarium or California Science Center educational programs on the Princess Cruise line. There is simply nothing like a family reunion cruise to create new memories that will last for years to come.

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Creating “save the date” magnets is one spectacular idea for creating family reunion invitations. At www.freshimpressions.us, you can order magnets for just $1.59 each! These magnets can be customized with artwork of your choosing or a family photo. You can also choose the colors, fonts and wording of the invites or include a calendar with the date circled to help everyone remember when the shindig is going down. If you’re not really sure what you want, you can also look at templates and choose one that you feel is appropriate for your gathering. The best part about this type of fun family reunions’ invitation is that your relatives will have a keepsake memento for years to come.

Another creative idea for family reunion invites is more DIY. You can find a vintage photo of some family patriarchs and matriarchs to use for the front of your invitation — like a postcard. On the reverse side, you can include the date, time, place and all the usual details. You can get this job done at FedEx/Kinkos for just cents per copy and save yourself the hassle of using your own printer, ink and time. If you like to do it yourself, then you may want to purchase the Adobe Photoshop software, which makes invitation creating easy. These sentimental family reunion invitations come to be something that people collect and look forward to each year, wondering, “Whose black and white photo will appear this year?”

As the family reunion planner, you may be concerned about getting a tally for attendees at your big event. One idea for family reunion response eliciting is to use online invitations from a family reunion web site like www.purpletrail.com. This website will let respondents RSVP with the click of a button, making the process as easy as reading the invite itself. They’ll also be able to see who else has responded (which sometimes ups the count too), leave notes, announce what they’ll be bringing and view other updated details about the party. Best yet, the website also has built-in features like “Request a Response” and “Send a Reminder,” which can automatically zing out additional emails to family members as the date draws near.

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One of the best websites with family reunion gifts is simply www.gifts.com. This site acts as a compendium of other sale sites and brings you the best of the Internet. Here you’ll find a $10 family scrap-booking kit, personalized wall decals for $24.95, $20 custom tees, personalized luggage tags for $29, personalized photo calendars for $16.95, $45 family tree picture frames, $5 family fridge magnets, $150 family heirloom photo quilts, custom photo M&Ms (3 bags for $38.97) and $345 custom “Memory Lane” artwork of all your family’s favorite locations. Many of the gifts on this site are intended to be given to individuals or won as a prize in family reunion games, rather than purchased in bulk for everyone.

There are a number of ideas for family reunion favors at www.cool-party-favors.com/family-reunion-favors.html, which may spark your interest. This family reunion website is full of gifts you can buy in bulk and give to everyone. For instance, you can offer treasures such as glass photo coasters ($1.89), personalized apothecary jars ($1.59), photo albums ($3), carabiner key rings ($2.75), grippy socks ($4), family reunion photo mint tins ($2.50), personalized mini coolers ($3.79), and custom playing cards ($1.77). You don’t have to spend a fortune to get the perfect, personalized family reunion gift. If you would like to save money, you can order just a few items to be doled out as awards (for “the oldest surviving family member,” for instance) or to be given as a prize for winning a game.

Family reunion gifts and researching new ideas for family reunion activities can be fun and rewarding. The good news is that there are many websites where you can get help organizing your family reunion, such as www.family-reunion.com/organize, www.reunionsmag.com and www.backyardfuninfo.com. Don’t be afraid of using free online tools to help you get started. You may also want to consider delegating responsibilities to others to make your planning less stressful. There are many details and family reunion ideas to consider, but when you see the smiles on everyone’s faces, you’ll know that your time has been well spent.

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One of the best ways to plan a family reunion is to book an all-inclusive family reunion cruise or a stay at an all-inclusive family reunion resort. This option is best suited for active and far-flung families, many of which have to travel across the country to get together with relatives anyway. This option is also suited for family members who enjoy a convenient, no-fuss vacation that allows for a myriad of fun family reunion activities. The best part about these family reunions is that there are no hidden expenses — generally all meals, sodas, transportation, rooms and entertainment are included. Additionally, no one has to cook, clean or drive anywhere! The one con to booking this way is that extra costs like shore excursions and alcohol expenses can potentially rack up the bill. One can expect to pay anywhere from $250 to $600 per person (plus airfare) for a 5-day cruise, assuming that 20 or more people attend. Naturally, the more people that go, the lower the price and often times, the party planner gets to sail or stay for free.

Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida offers those planning a family reunion an enormous number of discounts and special perks. Disney is so much more than Mickey Mouse and kids’ rides. In fact, there are many adult-friendly attractions at the futuristic and culturally-rich exhibits at Epcot, the sprawling safari zoo at Animal Kingdom, the high-thrills movie adventures at Hollywood Studios and the storybook settings of the Magic Kingdom. Of course, who could forget the two Disney water-parks, namely the tropical paradise at Typhoon Lagoon or wintry wonderland at Blizzard Beach. The best time to go (to avoid crowds) is September or just after Thanksgiving. A family of 10 can visit Disney for 7 nights for about $1,400 per person, which includes everything; the resort, park hopper tickets, dining plan, two special activities and airfare! Disney customer service representatives are skilled in helping organize your family reunion and the best deals are found by booking direct at www.disneyworld.disney.go.com.

Another one of the popular family reunion ideas is to simply rent out a villa or apartment. This family reunion lodging is best if the person who is planning a family reunion is simply tired of hosting the cooking, the mess and the clean-up at home all the time or if the at-home accommodations are a bit too cumbersome. It’s also a great way to experience a new location together and bask in idyllic, spacious settings. This way, all of the out-of-town family members can stay in the same house and share even more together time. There is also more autonomy, allowing family members the option of planning their own family reunion activities and meals. However, this option is a bit more expensive (around $3,000/person) for a family of 11 to stay for 7 days and they may not also be able to accommodate parties of more than 15. For more information, just visit www.wimco.com, www.rentvillas.com, www.villa-vacation.com or www.rentalo.com.

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Sumo suits can be a blast at family reunions. For about $375/weekend, you could rent an inflatable sumo wrestler suit to liven up the party. Do you have that one cousin you’ve secretly always wanted to battle? Imagine grappling in a ridiculous-looking sumo suit for supremacy! This is one of the family reunion activities that can even get teenagers involved. If you plan this family reunion rental, then make sure someone has a camera handy to capture all those family reunion memories! For more information on ordering and shipping, visit www.sumonationwide.com.

Another one of the more clever family reunion ideas is to organize your family reunion around a Murder Mystery event. You can hire a theatre troupe to arrive at your next event and get everyone involved in a comedic, intriguing and entertaining “WhoDunIt” mystery. Everyone, from young kids to the family elders, will be able to enjoy this type of activity, which makes it an ideal activity for family reunions. The Riddlesbrood Touring Theatre Company (www.riddlesbrood.com) will work with the family reunion planner to customize the performance around your guests. For $750, they can bring setting changers to transform your backyard or home into the scene of a crime, costumed actors, lighting, sound and video effects to make the experience even more immersive. For the $1050 Deluxe Package, they can also arrive with roving themed characters, wandering musicians, magicians, stilt walkers, face painters, balloon crafters and/or a DJ.

If there are a lot of young kids in your family, you may want to consider family reunion rentals like bounce houses or slides. Just about every city has this form of rental, which keeps children busy for hours on end. These rentals typically cost between $200 and $500 to rent for the day or to buy at www.nextag.com. The benefit of renting is that you don’t have to worry about set up, tear down or even supervising the kids when they’re bouncing around. You can find a national rental agency at www.moonwalkrentalsusa.com. For the adults at family reunions, you may want to consider renting Vegas-style casino games from www.casino-rental-equipment.com.

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The next step in planning a reunion is to delegate tasks. One person can be in charge of communications and letting everyone know what is going on; this person should collect address, send out surveys, accept responses, create and make family reunion invitations, prepare agendas and make any necessary phone calls. Two other people can volunteer for set-up/decorations at the party site and tear-down/clean-up; after all, it’s taxing and unfair for the host to do absolutely everything. Another person can be in charge of food, whether it’s organizing a potluck style dinner, ordering from a caterer, cooking all the dishes or finding a restaurant who will do a brunch. If your family reunion will be complex, it could help to delegate a finance point person, who can identify a budget, collect money from other relatives or figure out how to pay for everything. Additional jobs might include a family reunion activities/games director, and a historian who can collect information for a family tree, finds photographs to bring or purchase special keepsakes for the group.

Once you get other family members involved and send out a survey letter, your next step of planning a reunion will be to select the date. What good is a family reunion if no one can attend? Look over the survey poll results and try to find the date that is conducive to the most people. Many families select a holiday like Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter or a special family milestone. If you plan on turning this into an annual gathering, your best bet is to pick a date and keep it the same each year. You’ll also need to consider how long your gathering will last — just a few hours, a weekend or even an entire week. If you have a lot of family members coming in from afar, then you may want to make their family reunion vacation last more than just an afternoon. It’s important that you understand you can’t possibly please everyone, so try to choose a date that will accommodate the largest number of kin.

Other steps of planning a reunion include nailing down a reunion location and deciding upon a theme. The location can be an all-inclusive family reunion resort, cruise or camping experience. It can be at someone’s house, a local park/picnic area or a restaurant/banquet hall. Hopefully, you did your homework and sent out those surveys to get an idea of people’s budgets and availabilities, and to get some reunion ideas. The theme, of course, is optional, but it can be a great way to interest family members and make them more likely to attend. Hawaiian luaus, murder mysteries or Mardi Gras themes can tie decorations, activities and food together nicely. Now that you know the planning steps for a family reunion, you should be well on your way to creating new memories and forging new bonds with your loved ones!

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One way to eliminate the stress of family reunion planning is to delegate the task to a travel agent. That way, all you’ll be responsible for are the invitations and guest list. There are many environments to consider, so before calling your agent, you’ll have to determine whether a beach resort, ranch, cruise line or campground family reunion location would be best. Many places offer event planning assistance and special perks for family reunions, like free hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, bowling passes or upgraded rooms, for example. Deep cruise discounts are available for families and may cost as low as $50/day. If a family reunion cruise sounds like something for your surf-and-sand-loving family, then consider www.carnival.com or www.ncl.com, which are two cruise lines that are known for their family-friendly atmospheres. If your family would feel more at home horseback riding and sleeping in cabins, check out the Red Horse Mountain Ranch in Harrison, Idaho, where a one-week stay costs around $1,718.

Another way to evade the stress of planning a family reunion is to purchase reunion planning software. Family Reunion Organizer and Family Reunion Planner are two types of software to consider. Not only will these programs walk you through the steps of how to organize a family reunion, but will also provide you with a database for keeping track of family members’ contact info and RSVPs, as well as lists for budgeting, assigning tasks, completing tasks and networking with service providing professionals. Whether you’re planning an at-home get-together or a reunion vacation, you can visit www.family-reunion.com/organizer or www.family-reunion-planner.fimark.net to order this inexpensive organizer software.

Sometimes the answer to stress-free family reunion planning is much simpler; delegate. As the reunion planner, you naturally assume all responsibility for the success or failure of the gathering. You feel that it’s solely up to you to ensure all the food is made, the location is set, everyone has transportation and lodging, and that activities are organized. Yet, waiting in the wings somewhere, there is a family member or two or three who would be more than willing to help you plan. Many hosts will plan to cook the main dish and ask everyone else to bring a side dish, munchies, drinks or desserts. Perhaps one person will be in charge of booking the site, while another person will cover family reunion activities planning, while another person might buy mementos for the family, like reunion t-shirts, pens or photo coasters. Delegating will make your whole event much less stressful.

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