Virtual Family Reunion Ideas That Are Simple and Fun

Have you ever considered a virtual family reunion? A virtual family reunion is an example of good Ideas To Strengthen Homeschool Family Relationships.

If your family is anything like mine, then you are familiar with the annual, or perhaps the bi-annual, family reunion. The tradition of a regular family reunion keeps family members of all ages connected, even when life keeps them apart.

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In a time where more and more things are moving online, be sure to check out our ideas for a virtual summer camp too.

How To Host A Virtual Family Reunion

My mom’s parents have diligently made sure a traditional family reunion was held for as long as I can remember. This family gathering always included as many family members as possible, from the oldest generation, all the way down to the great-grandchildren.

I have very fond memories of traipsing through the Oregon forests or swimming in the Idaho Hot Springs with my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Some of my fond memories include this silly little ‘magic trick’ my uncle used to do with his fingers, or hiding from softball-sized hail in the overhang at the park with my aunt and cousins.

Family reunions are a lot of fun for families all over the world. But sometimes, circumstances such as money, illness, or other unfortunate situations get in the way and families just can’t get together regularly. It’s times like these that a virtual family reunion might be worth considering.

Unfortunately, recent years’ circumstances have required that my family move our beloved family reunion to the internet, and it has fallen on me to come up with some fun virtual family reunion activities and ideas. Since I was doing the research on online, cheap family reunion ideas anyway, I thought I’d share what I came up with here for you to enjoy!

Virtual Thanksgiving and Christmas Gatherings

The ideas and suggestions listed in this article were written with summer family reunions in mind but many of these can be adapted to fit a virtual Thanksgiving or Christmas gathering. In addition to the virtual family reunion meet and greet ideas listed below, here are a few holiday specific ideas to incorporate:

• Set up a video chat during your big holiday meal. You can project your device onto your TV so you can easily see the other family participants, even when they are far away. Just stick your laptop or phone on the counter where it can see your table and enjoy some the company of your loved ones – even if the place settings are unique.

• Printing out similar coloring and activity pages for every household to access is a fun way to feel connected even when you are apart. Kids in different places will feel even closer to their friends and family when they are all gathered around a video chat setup, each with similar activites to enjoy together. You can find some fun Christmas coloring pages or Thanksgiving activity pages here if you need some ideas.

• Enjoy STEM activities and challenges together by assigning each household a specific STEM challenge or by assiging everybody the same one. Each household can enjoy their family bonding activity together and then gather on video chate to share and compare what everybody came up with. Here are some fun Thanksgiving STEM activities and Christmas STEM activities for you to choose from.

The Problems Virtual Reunions and Virtual Events Can Present

The trick with hosting virtual events is that participants must depend on the internet for keeping in touch. Social media, Skype, and other online tools can be useful for random connections or even small group gatherings, but will they work for large get-togethers? Internet connections and schedules, including time-zones, can be sketchy, and some family members are too young to really enjoy connecting through computer screens.

Some problems may include:

1. Time zones
2. Schedules
3. Stable Internet Connections
4. Enough Devices for Every Single Participant
5. Accessibility to Outside Materials (for games and activities)
6. Ages of Participants (too young for devices for example)
7. Difficulty of Making Meaningful Connections Through A Screen
8. Lack of Online Tools
9. Lack of Online Accessibility (Does every family member have a social network account?)

These are the problems I am on a mission to solve – for my own family as well as yours.

The Best Platforms For A Virtual Family Get Together

There are many platforms to be considered when hosting a virtual event. But when you’re hosting a large group get together, the platform options are a bit more limited.

Here are a few of my favorite ideas for virtual events with large groups. Note – these ideas can double as virtual class reunion games and activities, especially if you have a list of fun and engaging class reunion icebreaker questions.

Zoom

Zoom is a very popular and easy to use platform for live video groups. The free accounts allow for up to 40 minutes of live chat time and up to 100 different ‘members’ or devices.

Zoom can be used for live chats, live virtual games, or anything that needs to be handled face-to-face in real time.

Google Hangouts

I am not personally familiar with Google Hangouts, but sources say it is another good option for large virtual gatherings. It’s free and there is no time limit like there is on Zoom. However, participants must have either a Gmail account or a Chrome browser extension, which could possibly be limiting to some family members.

Email

Email is perhaps the least interactive, if not the simplest to use. You can have emails going to a handful of participants, or a large group. Family members can bounce ideas off of each other and share and gather information or attachments. However, if there are too many responses, messages can start to get lost in the shuffle. Furthermore, because of the slow response time, it is more difficult to play games and do real-life activities together over email.

Facebook Groups

As much as people whine and gripe about Facebook, you can’t deny that this social media network really has set up a convenient platform. Facebook groups are a great platform for swapping information, conversations, ideas, and even posting videos. You can even host a live video on Facebook, although it is a one-sided event and only the host can be seen or heard.

Facebook Messenger Rooms

Facebook just rolled out a brand new feature to their site, Facebook Messenger Rooms. These messenger rooms are video chat rooms with a lot of safety and accessibility features using Facebook’s platform. I have never used them as they are so new, but they seem to be a great alternative to platforms such as Zoom or Skype. Depending on your room’s settings, participants do not need to download, log in, or connect to a messenger account to use this platform.

Kahoot

Kahoot is a fun quiz app that can be used virtually with many many users. The host creates a quiz with a set number of questions and answers, then users log in using a secret code and they can all participate in the quiz live. This is particularly fun when used in conjunction with Zoom or Facebook live video.

All of these platforms have their pros and cons, but each can be useful in some way for a virtual family reunion or other virtual get together. Just make sure that whatever platform(s) you choose, that every participant is familiar enough with it to get things turned on.

Consider testing your platform(s) of choice a few times before the virtual event so you can get all the kinks out.

Simple and Fun Virtual Family Reunion Ideas

Now keep in mind, I have only done some of these events at a virtual family gathering. I am merely collecting fun ideas that I can share with my family members. Maybe we’ll end up using these ideas, maybe we won’t. But at the very least, these ideas are worth considering.

Brainstorming Virtual Reunion Ideas For Increased Family Bonds

Here is a brainstormed list of virtual reunion ideas. I go into more details further down this article.

1. Virtual Scavenger Hunts
2. Guess The Family Member
3. Family Member Interviews
4. Virtual Musical Numbers
5. Virtual Talent Show
6. Family History Memories and Journal Entries
7. Writing And Drawing Contests
8. Compile A Family Cookbook
9. Virtual Games and Contests
10. Online Tournaments
11. Online Quiz and Trivia Games

Virtual Family Reunion Activities

Finally, I have compiled an epic list of ideas for virtual family reunion activities that are suitable for many ages. Hopefully you find value in at least one of these ideas.

#1 – Virtual Scavenger Hunt

Who doesn’t love a scavenger hunt? Scavenger hunts are fun for people of all ages from young child to mature adult. I remember as a kid, some of my favorite things to do with my friends was put together a scavenger hunt and then go adventuring together. And there are so many ways you can do a scavenger hunt, too! The only limit is your imagination.

If you’re looking for something simple that doesn’t take much prep, I’ve got a free printable scavenger hunt you can download now. Or feel free to make one of your own!

#2 – Guess The Family Member

This is actually an ongoing activity my cousin has been hosting in our extended family Facebook group for a couple of years now. She gathered a bunch of trivia questions about aunts, uncles, and grandparents, and every once in a while she’ll post a fun trivia question in the Facebook group, complete with a poll for family members to place their guess.

This has been a fun way to get to know fun little facts about family members, but I do wish it included more than just a couple of aunts and uncles, and I also wish it was more interactive than just placing a vote. But in conjunction with some other activities and games, this could be a fun idea to include in a virtual family reunion that is less restrictive time-wise.

#3 – Family Member Interviews

Holding family member interviews is a great way to allow family members to get to know each other.

There are many ways you can go about doing this, but one easy way to do this is to have sign-ups and family members who want to participate sign up. Then each family member who signed up is assigned another family member from the list and that is the person they get to interview.

I’ve got a fun Family History Bundle that you can grab that would be perfect for this activity. It includes several pages for asking questions and interviewing family members, or for filling in your own ‘time capsule’ of sorts. Geared towards kids but would be easily enjoyed by all ages.

Grab your Kids Family History bundle now! Only for $3. Or come up with your own fun interview questions. The choice is yours.

Participants are given a certain amount of time to come up with interview questions and get answers to these questions. Answers are then shared with the group so everybody can get to know other family members.

This can be done over Facebook or Email and is less restrictive time-wise so you don’t have to worry about time zones or schedules.

#4 – Virtual Musical Numbers

Our extended family is very musical and we all (well, most of us) love singing and getting together in musical ways. When we’re in person, we usually hold at least one, if not more, family musical numbers.

This year, due to social distancing requirements, we will not be able to do this. So what if we held a virtual musical number? I think this would be a lot of fun, and a great way to encourage family bonding.

There are a few ways this could be done, but some options include:

1. Picking one song as a family, and every individual family unit records themselves singing this song. Footage is then sent to one family member who combines all the videos into one family musical number that features all of the individual families.
2. Every individual family picks their own song to practice and record, perhaps revolving around a specific theme, and then all footage is shared on the platform of choice for everybody else to enjoy.

Or, get creative! The availability of online tools these days make hosting a virtual family musical number a fun and decently simple option.

#5 – Virtual Talent Show

Similar to the virtual musical number idea, families could put on a virtual talent show! This might take some planning and organizing on the host’s part, but the general idea is that everybody who wants to share a talent of theirs signs up and then a deadline is set.

Every family member must have their talent recorded and submitted by that deadline and then everything is put together, either in one long video or a bunch of individual files, for everybody else to see and enjoy. This would be a fun way for family members of all ages to share their talents as well as be exposed to each others’ talents. What a great way to really connect with family members from all over!

Some examples of talents could include dancing, singing, telling jokes, or creating art, but really the sky’s the limit.

#6 – Family History Memories and Journal Entries

For the older family members, it could be a lot of fun to participate in some genealogy and compile some family history memories and journal entries.

This could be done in a variety of ways. You could either have every family member submit one ‘miracle memory’ or one ‘favorite memory’ and then compile them. These memories could be compiled in a bound notebook or journal of sorts and distributed amongst family members so that they can all go back and read these real-life miracles when times get tough or they just need a pick-me-up.

Or instead, these memories can be entered into FamilySearch for permanent safe-keeping, no matter what moves or natural disasters occur.

For those who are unfamiliar with FamilySearch, FamilySearch is a genealogist’s dream site. It is basically an online tool that allows people to gather their ancestors into a family tree. Many people enjoy going through the entire tree and finding as many long-lost relatives as they possibly can.

But a feature that is not widely talked about is the memories section. Individuals can input family photos and memories into their family tree so that these precious records never get lost. And the best part is these memories all stay completely secret and private as long as the entrant is alive, but once that person dies, it all becomes public for all of that person’s future generations to see and enjoy. It’s amazing!

This online tool is a particular favorite amongst members of the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, but all people are welcome to utilize this free resource, regardless of their religious beliefs. Because being familiar with our ancestors is important for everybody.

My friend Rebecca from homeschool.rebeccareid.com has some great printable pages for younger family members to enjoy filling out their own immediate family tree, so they can be involved too!

#7 – Writing and Drawing Contests

Hosting a writing or drawing contest could be a fun idea for a virtual family reunion. You could either host a serious contest where people try their hardest, or you could hold a spoof contest where family members have to write, say, a haiku about a family memory that has to make sense and be amusing at the same time, or perhaps a self-portrait they drew while blind-folded Everybody shares their writing or drawing with everybody else, and family members can vote on different categories, such as funniest, makes the most sense, the most embarrassing, etc etc.

If you’ve got a good imagination and your family members are good sports, this could make for a lot of laughs as well as some great new memories.

#8 – Compile A Family Cookbook

Compiling a family cookbook might be a bit less interactive than the ideal family reunion, but this is still a good way to connect with each other and to create some long-lasting memories.

Some of my favorite cookbooks are old family or church compilations. You know that every recipe in the book is tried and true, and you also know the overall tastes of the person who submitted the recipe, so you have a pretty good idea of if you will like it or not before you even try it.

And really, who doesn’t love a new, trusted recipe source?

Family cookbooks can be compiled by asking family members to submit their favorite recipe(s) in a variety of categories. The person who collects the recipes can then compile them into a bound notebook, printed by a company such as Shutterfly or Amazon, or perhaps shared on a free blog hosted on Blogspot. It takes a bunch of time, but these cookbooks are a great investment.

#9 – Virtual Games and Contests

One of the best things to do at an in-person family reunion is play a bunch of games. Just because you can’t have an in-person family gathering doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the games!

Again, your level of creativity is your only limitation when it comes to hosting virtual games and contests, but here are a few ideas I was able to come up with to get your gears working.

Game and Contest Ideas for a Virtual Family Gathering

Charades – Family members gather in a live Zoom meeting and then they divide into teams. Each team takes turns with one player acting out a specific item on a card, while other team members have to guess.

They get points equal to the number of correct guesses they make before a timer goes off. Turns rotate until a team reaches a previously decided upon score.

I’ve got free summer-themed Zoom charades printable here if you want to give this game a try. Or come up with your own list of ideas to act out.

Download your free Zoom Charades now.

Among Us – Among Us is a fun and free app that my extended family enjoys playing together. It’s even child friendly if each kid has a hand-held device to use. Just set up a private room and play with up to 10 family members at a time. It’s kind of like a virtual mafia game.

To keep conversations active during this game, you can set up a live video chat or google meets chat, or our family uses Discord to chat live during these kinds of games. The kids love it and it’s fun for adults too.

Pictionary – Similar to charades, family members gather in a live Zoom meeting and split into teams. Teams take turns drawing a specific item, either on a pen and paper you can see on the screen, or using a digital paint program.

Correct guesses earn points and points are tallied up until one team wins.

Family Feud – Family Feud is a popular game show that can easily be duplicated over Zoom! A few days or weeks beforehand, split your group into teams of 6-9 players.

Send each team a survey to fill out and collect their answers. This works best when you have a very large group with at least six or more teams.

On the day of the event, all you have to do is make sure competing teams do not answer questions they filled out originally.

You can check out Hobby Lark for more detailed Family Fued gameplay rules, as well as for some survey question ideas. Just adapt the game to take place over Zoom instead of in person.

Bingo – This can be played in Zoom or in a Facebook group. Make sure every family member has a predetermined Bingo board. The host can either read a story and every time an object on the Bingo board gets mentioned, they can fill in their spot on the board, or the host can draw objects randomly from a hat or bowl.

The first one with 5 in a row wins! Then you could try for a black-out. It’s up to you to decide if you want to host prizes or not, but that could be a bit more tricky online.

Encore – Are you familiar with the board game Encore? This is a fun game that might be easily adjusted to play virtually.

If I was playing this game virtually, I would do something like this: Gather family members into a Zoom meeting and split them into teams, They do not have to be in two even teams, in fact, it’s better if there are multiple groups of 5 or 6.

One team begins with one member singing a song – any song. Other team members can jump in and sing a different song at any time, but the catch is the new song must have a word in common with the previous song. That team goes through as many songs as possible before a timer goes off and they get points equalling the number of songs they successfully connected.

Simon Says – Simon Says could also easily be adapted for a digital space, especially for younger kids. Gameplay goes just like it does in real life, only everybody is in front of a device instead of in the same room.

If you’re looking for more ideas, this post I found on games to play on virtual calls might get your imagination running. They are mostly geared towards grandparents and grandkids on one-on-one calls, but maybe something will work for your virtual family reunion?

#10 – Online Tournaments

A lot of people enjoy playing online games such as Age Of Empires, Cashflow, or World Of Warcraft. There are many online games that people enjoy playing nowadays. And if you want to keep costs down while still allowing everybody to play, Fanatical is a great option for inexpensive computer games.

The problem with using these games at a virtual family reunion is the number of participants. My family’s reunion, for example, is probably going to be hosting between 75 and 200 people. That’s way too many to jump on an Age Of Empires game at one time.

The workaround for this is an elimination-style tournament. With an elimination style tournament, you can literally choose any game that is popular amongst your family members and keep track of who won which game and who got what score.

Narrow it down until you have ended up with a champion. It’s like March Madness, family-style!

Take a poll of your family members’ favorite digital games and see if there are any in common that can be turned into a tournament. This is another fun way to include family members who are otherwise uninterested in the activities you’ve chosen thus far.

#11 – Online Quiz and Trivia Games

If you want to have some live fun that is good for all ages, consider a virtual quiz or trivia game.

Come up with quiz or trivia questions about certain family members or your family’s history. You can come up with as many as you want! Make a game out of seeing how many correct answers other family members can get. You might even consider a prize for the winner! Or if you don’t want to come up with a prize, bragging rights are always fun.

This is particularly fun when using the free app/website, Kahoot.

I hope these ideas have been helpful to you and that you enjoy your next virtual family gathering. And I also hope you (and we) are able to get together in person, soon!

Please feel free to share this post with your friends! Or if you have an idea for a virtual family reunion activity, please comment below. You never know who you might help.

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Simple and Free Virtual Family Reunion Ideas