Family reunions are always great…but why not make them greater?
Here are a few of my favorite family reunion games, followed by a little info on our most recent Utah family reunion at Maple Mountain Retreat. If you are still looking for some fun family reunion ideas, I feature just under 100 activities from other bloggers (at the end of this article) that are sure to bring a smile to everyone's faces. Make sure you check them out! Many of these games also work for church parties and large group functions.
PVC Pipe Game. I should probably come up with a better title, but this game is so, so fun. Cut your pipe to be about 9-10 feet tall, and then have everyone stand in a circle with the ends of their poles touching. This will put everyone a the correct distance apart (if they seem too close, have them take a couple steps back). The moderator of the game will then call a direction: Left or Right. While leaving their pole in the standing position, each person must move that direction and grab the pole next to them before it falls. If the pole falls, or if the person goes the wrong direction, they are out. You will continue until there are only two people left. These two people will stand directly across from each other and continue with the directions until one person is out. This is a fun game for a variety of ages.
At home with the kids? Instantly access any of these printable activity bundles to keep them learning!
Giant Jenga Game. This one is really easy to play, and can involve everyone of all ages. Aside from your wood, there is nothing else you have to buy for this game. You can simply play Jenga with the wood, or you can write an activity on each piece that the person must do. We prefer playing it with the actions as it pulls everyone from their comfort zones and leads to LOTS of laughter. Some of our “actions” included: “lick a rock” “spell your name with your bum” and “perform your own indian rain dance.” Of course you can make yours more mild or extreme to match your family's level of comfort.
Bubble Soccer. This game is hilarious as well, and equally fun to watch. All the players put on their bumper bubble balls and go after the soccer ball. This game always leads to physical contact, so I would avoid putting little kids on the field that could get trampled by adults.
Maple Mountain Retreat
If you live in Utah, I HIGHLY recommend looking into the Maple Mountain Retreat, located in beautiful Mapleton, Utah! We came upon them by accident when a previous booking in Beaver, UT didn't work out. We had a huge lodge booked in Beaver, but after some dishonesty with the owners, we were left looking for something else last minute. We were so glad, because the Maple Mountain Retreat ended up being much nicer, more affordable, and had lots more space for our family. My aunts and uncles were all collaborating on how to buy the place because our family loved it so much. I did arrange a discount for my readers, so if you end up deciding to book, tell them you came from mothersniche.com for $100 OFF per night (excludes weekends).
I was slightly worried when I looked up the weather report for our upcoming reunion, because it was rainy almost the entire time. The best thing about this place is that there was SO MUCH to do indoors, that no one even cared. Everyone was busy swimming in the indoor swimming pool, playing raquetball in the raquetball court, playing basketball, playing card games, and watching movies in the main living area.
Here's everything this place features to do:
*Indoor swimming pool and hot tub
*Indoor basketball and racquetball court
*Game room with pool table, large screen TV, ping pong table, DVD player, Satellite TV
*Tennis Court with Outdoor lighting
*Volleyball
*Walleyball in Racquetball Court
*Hopscotch Court
*Croquet
*Shuffleboard
*Weight and Exercise Room
*Outdoor Playground and playhouse
*Grand Piano
*Large indoor gathering room with large screen TV and fireplace
Here is a video with more pictures:
Family Reunion Game Ideas
6 Awesome Family Reunion Games
In charge of planning the activities? Don't overlook these great family reunion games.
Shake things up with some “out of the box” games.
What could be funner than putting on your own Family Olympics with events like Tennis Balls Meet Panty Hose, Bucket Ball Toss, and Family Weight Lifting.
Keep everyone going with these fun relay games.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5! Five days filled with awesome activities.
There wont be enough time to do all these amazing games…but why not try?
Kara says
Wow, that place looks awesome! Totally booking it next time we’re in charge of my husband’s family reunion. We can never find a place big enough.
Katherine Coleman Hendricks says
It was a dream come true for my 94 yr old Mother to be with her posterity again without going too far away. The owners and caretakers were so family-oriented and great to work with.
Suzanne says
Thank you for all the great ideas and info! My family is staying at Maple Mountain in a couple of weeks and I noticed in your video that there were 3 crepe makers. Are those at the rental or did your family bring those?
Tina M says
We brought them!
Jerry Lybbert says
My name is Carol Lybbert and we are seriously considering this home for our next family reunion. I have one daughter-in-law who is concerned about the safety of the indoor pool. She has a 3 and 5 year old and is concerned that the pool area can be secured enough so she doesn’t have to worry about them being in there when no one else is. Could you give me further info about this? Thanks.
mistee medeiros says
I am very interested in this home. these posts are old, is this house still available to rent? I can’t seem to find it to look at more info. Please let me know. I am in charge of our family reunion this labor day 2020
Monica says
I too am looking for the retreat place and can’t find it. Do you know if it’s still in business? Can you share the contact info?