Party Games For Family Gatherings

These party games for family gatherings will make your next get-together special!

Families come in all shapes and sizes. So it can be quite a challenge to organize a family reunion and come up with family party games that will please all of the family members.

When choosing your party games for family gatherings, you have to remember that the main reason for a family reunion is to spend some quality time with all members of the family, and perhaps get to know them a little better.

Consider this goal when planning your family reunion games, so that everybody enjoys themselves and has an opportunity to actively participate. Here are a few ideas to help you get started.

Family Memory Game

Ask each family in attendance to send an individual photo of each family member, family or group photo or a several photos of them having fun. You may also include memory photos and those who cannot attend. If possible, ask for digital copies so that all photos would be the same size.

Have two prints made of each photo. 

Once you have all the photos, mix them up and randomly lay them out in a grid with the photo side face down. If there are young kids participating, you may want to lessen the photos at 6-8 pairs so that you can also help teach relatives names.



Just like the traditional memory game, the first player flips over a photo and then flips over a second photo trying to find the matching photo. If the second photo matches the first photo, the pair will be removed from the board and the player will try to match another pair. But if the second photo does not match the first photo, both photos are turned back over and the next player takes a turn.



This party game for family gatherings can be played by individuals and by teams. The player or team with the highest number of matched pairs wins.

 This game is great before the reunion to help teach names of cousins and relatives. After each flip you can ask who the person on the picture is. Additional points could be given if the player can give the name of the person. Thought it's simple, Memory is one of the best family games around.

Guess That Baby Picture

Ask family members to mail, email or bring copies of baby photos to the gathering. Organize the pictures on a poster board to display so everyone can look at the photographs.

Have family members guess who each baby picture belongs to. Of course, the one with the most correct guesses wins.

Two Truths, One Lie

This is a great "getting-to-know-you" family party game. Everyone sits in a circle and takes turns telling three things about themselves; however, one of them is a lie.

Once you make the statements, everyone then votes on which one is the lie.

I've Done Something You Haven't Done

Have each person introduce themselves and say something that they have done which they think no one else has. If someone else speaks up and says that they have done that too then the person has to keep trying until they find something no one else has done.

Family reunion games that reveal information about your loved ones tend to be the most memorable.

Sack Race

It's always fun to see people, especially the grown-ups, hopping around like they aren't a year over ten. This party game for family gatherings is better played by teams.

Create a twist by providing an oversized sack which could fit about five people. Each group comes up with their own strategy to reach the finish line first.

Three-Legged Race

This family party game's a doozy! Divide up into teams of two. Tie the right leg of one teammate to the left leg of the other teammate with a short piece of rope.

Try to run to the finish line while concentrating on not tripping. If you want to make it even more challenging, tie five people together and see what happens.

Red Light, Green Light

This party games for family gatherings is based on "What's The Time, Mr. Wolf?"

Choose one person to be the stoplight. Everyone else is a car. The stoplight stands at the finish line with his or her back towards the starting line. Have everyone else line up. When the stoplight calls, "Green light!" everyone races towards the stoplight.

The stoplight can shout "Red light" at any time, and then turn around quickly to see if he or she can catch any of the cars still moving. If the stoplight sees someone still moving, that person must go back to the starting line and start over. Whoever gets to and tags the stoplight first gets to be the stoplight for the next round.

Capture The Flag

Capture The Flag is a great choice of party games for family gatherings. This game involves quite a bit of running, so be sure to pick the fit family members for your team!

Break into two teams and set your base. Both teams hide their flag. Each team go across the center and try to steal the other team's flag and bring it back to their base without getting tagged.

If a player gets tagged, they are held as prisoner in the other team's base. The only way to get out of prison is for someone on their team (who isn't also in prison) to tag them in jail. But they can get recaptured if they are tagged on the opponent's side of the field again.

First team to get the other's flag and bring it across the boundary line wins.

Musical Chairs

Who doesn't know this classic party game? For those who don't, you have to walk, run or dance around a circle of chairs while music is playing in the background. When the music stops at a random time, everyone scrambles to get a seat.

Since there's one chair less than the number of players, one person will be left standing. That person will be out of the game. Before resuming the game, take out another chair. Go through this pattern until one person is left.

Mummy Wrap (equipment needed)

Group into teams of two and give each team a roll of toilet paper. Use this roll to turn the other player into a mummy. Everything has to be covered except the eyes. First team to do this wins.

There wouldn't be any awkward silences in your reunion when you play these fun party games for family gatherings. Simple as they are, they go long way to liven up the mood and strengthen family ties.

Don't see the party games for family gatherings you're looking for? Check out the range of fun party games available at Python Printable Games!

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