Family reunions can either be a successful experience with everyone having a genuinely good time with each other’s company, or a really awkward and painful one that’s full of family members asking you why you’re still single. But don’t think awkward silences with everyone checking their phones is the end of the world and try these 8 games that can turn your meh reunion to the party of the year.
8. The losing your marbles game
Materials needed:
- A pair of plastic or paper straws for each team
- Marbles (The number of players in one team should be the same as the number of the marbles)
- Two saucers or bowls for each team
Teams and players needed: Any number of teams and players will do as long as there’s enough marbles and straws for each team.
How to play: Each team will have one plate or bowl with marbles on it. There should be one marble per person playing in a team. Each player will take turns to move one marble to the other bowl by using just the two straws. The first team to move all the marbles are the winners.
7. Chubby Bunny
Materials needed:
- Medium-size marshmallows
- Tissue
- Water
Teams and players needed: No teams, no limit of players.
How to play: One round consists of each player taking turns to stuff a marshmallow into their mouths, and shouting “Chubby bunny!” after. Players will be out of the game when their shouts begin to be unintelligible or when, you know, they’ve had enough. Do as many rounds as you can until only one player is left.
6. Scavenger hunt
Materials needed:
- List of the items they need to collected like nine pieces of napkins, a small shoe, a blue shirt, a bowl, or even a selfie with the oldest relative. You can make the items as bizarre as you want.
- Actual items scattered around the house or outdoors
Teams and players needed: Players can be divided into teams. Children and adults can be in one team so the game can be more intense.
How to play: The game is simple. Each team will need to find all the items in the scavenger hunt list and the first one to complete the list wins. This game requires some work planting the items in the list, but it’s worth it especially if you all want to make the reunion stop being so awkward.
5. Mystery touch
Materials needed:
- Anything that feels weird when touched like feathers, a wet string, a toy snake, or grass to make people panic.
- Blindfold for each player
Teams and players needed: No teams, no limit of players.
How to play: Place the items in a see-through box or a bowl and blindfold the player. Players will touch the item while blindfolded and will have to guess the item they’re touching. The main goal here is to make the player scared of what they’re touching, so the weirder the item, the more entertaining the game will be.
4. Giant ring toss
Materials needed:
- a rod or thick stick (about three to four feet in height) sturdily mounted on the ground
- plastic hula hoops
- you can also use pool noodles for the rod and hoops
Teams and players needed: Any number of teams and players.
How to play: Make the players stand at least two meters away from the rods. The team that throws the most number of hoops around their rod in one minute wins. Make sure the teams aren’t split into the gathering’s nuclear families. Or maybe you should, if you want it extra competitive.
3. Pusoy dos or tong its
Materials needed:
- playing cards
- logic
Teams and players needed: Pusoy dos is limited to only two-four players. Tong-its, on the other hand, requires a maximum of 3 players.
How to play: Check this more detailed explanation for the instructions for Pusoy dos (Big Two) and Tong-its. This game is perfect if your family isn’t into anything physical. Make things even more interesting and place bets. Or turn it into a tournament and encourage eliminated players to heckle.
2. Water balloon/egg- catching game
Materials needed:
- small water balloon
- or eggs
Teams and players needed: Two people in one team.
How to play: Each pair will have one water balloon or an egg. A round consists of both of them throwing and catching the balloon or egg without it popping or cracking. After a round finishes, all surviving teams will move a few steps farther from each other and do another round of throwing and catching. The last surviving team will be the winner.
1. Shoot the pencil game
Materials needed:
- yarn or string
- crayon or short pencil
- A boston round-shaped bottle (round body with a narrow opening)
How to play: All players will tie the yarn to the middle of the pencil or crayon. Make sure the pencil is slightly slanted and not completely horizontal. Tie the other end of the yard to the waist with the pencil hanging from the butt. The pencil should hang two inches below the knees.
After the pencils are ready, place bottles on the floor. Each player will take turns to shoot their pencil into the mouth of the bottle. Once the pencil is inside, players will lift the bottle using the pencil. The first team to have all the players successfully do the task will be the winners.
Teams and players needed: Warning: make sure the players have no leg or back problems.
Got more games that can take your family reunions to the next level? Share them on the comments below!
