You don't need to have an elaborate plan or a major event like a reunion to host your family on an evening or weekend day. In fact, with a few simple family get-together ideas, you can have plenty of casual (and stress-free) fun. Get inspired to have a chill family day or evening with all the people you love.
Host a Family Game Night
When it comes to family get-togethers, games are kind of perfect. They're low-key (unless your family is super competitive), and there's minimal setup. Choose some fun board games or card games that the whole family can enjoy. Depending on the ages and number of people, these could be some ideal options:
- Uno
- Charades
- Ticket to Ride
- Hearts or another classic card game
- Dominoes
- Scattergories
- Family Feud
If it's summer, don't forget those fun outdoor games too. This is the perfect time to break out that croquet set or bocce ball.
Take a Hike (or Nature Walk)
Something active is a winning choice, especially if your family involves younger kids. Staying busy and getting out in nature can help everyone feel involved.
Meet for a family hike at a state or local park or take a nature walk in your neighborhood. Spend the day or evening exploring outdoors together. You can throw in some bird watching, pine cone collecting, or rock hunting too.
Schedules get busy, so plan your family get-together at least a few weeks in advance. You can find an open time when everyone can be there and then work on the details of what you'll do after it's on the calendar.
Volunteer as a Family
Doing good together is a great way to bond, and it's also awesome for passing on those family values to the next generation. Think about what matters to you as a family, from animals to the environment. Then set up a time when everyone can meet to volunteer together.
Top off donating your time with a dinner or lunch so everyone can chat and catch up. A meal lets you chill together and talk about your experience too.
Depending on where you want to volunteer, there may be age restrictions or online or paper forms to fill out. Find out the details in advance to make sure everyone can take part.
Be Tourists in Your Own Town
What makes your town special? Where would you take out-of-town guests? Treat yourselves like you're on vacation at home by hitting up some of the local attractions and cultural options. There are so many to choose from, but we love these ideas:
- Museums, especially children's museums, if you've got little ones in the family
- Music events
- Favorite restaurants
- Scenic drives (pile in one car or van, if possible)
- Natural wonders or favorite views
- Historic sites or interactive experiences
- Art galleries
- River or lake cruises or afternoon train rides
Host a Potluck With Family Foods
If your family has some favorite meals, host a potluck where everyone can bring part of the dinner. You can assign a specific course to people, or everyone can bring some of the ingredients to cook a favorite food together.
You can do this indoors or out, have a picnic at a park, or even make cookies around the holidays. The key is being together and sharing in the food prep and purchasing. Everyone will feel involved, and that's important when you get together as a family.
Keep your family event stress-free by breaking up the work of hosting. Even if you don't have a potluck, put one person in charge of bringing games or supplies for an activity and someone else in charge of cooking or cleaning up. Sharing the load is all about communicating what needs to be done and pitching in.
Have a Family Movie Night
Everyone loves movies, and you can have a movie night with any size of group. If there are lots of young kids, choose a family-friendly film that everyone will like. Or get together with parents and adult children to watch favorites and eat popcorn together. Try these family favorites:
- 100 Best Kids Movies: Watch kid-friendly flicks the whole family will love.
- Classic Family Movies From the 80s: Get nostalgic with these old-school, family-friendly films.
- Disney Movies: Almost everyone has a favorite Disney film.
- Inspirational Family Movies: Learn and grow as a family while watching movies you'll all love.
You can also watch your own family movies at this kind of gathering. Grab those old video tapes and Super-8 movies from the basement and have them converted to digital files. Then get together and watch the memories on a screen.
Make Photo Albums
Just like watching your own home movies, making a photo album is a great way to relive the good old days and make new memories at the same time. This is also a meaningful activity for passing on memories to younger generations.
If one person has all the photos, ask them to bring copies for everyone. Then have each family group bring an album and some supplies for putting things together in a fun way, such as scrapbooking paper, stickers, and colorful markers. Work at a big table together so you can collaborate.
Learn a New Skill Together
If everyone is up for it, you can learn a new skill together as a family. Take an art or cooking class as a group or have someone come in to teach you how to garden or do something else fun.
You can also share the skills you already have with family lessons where one member teaches everyone else how to do something. From knitting to fishing, there are so many unique talents people can share with relatives.
Do a Family Project Around the House
If you're meeting at your parents' or grandparents' place or at the home of a couple who just got married or had a baby, a family get-together can be the ideal time to tackle a home improvement project. There are so many ways you can work on as a group:
- Building a deck or patio
- Painting a room
- Cleaning a garage
- Installing shelving
- Building a playhouse or shed
- Painting lawn furniture
- Setting up a play structure
Play (or Watch) Sports Together
For families into football, soccer, or any other sport, it's fun to meet for a game. This is great for showing support to kids who are on the the field, or you can just cheer on your favorite local team.
You can also meet to play a low-key game together, from casual touch football in the back yard to mini golf at the local course. There's no wrong choice as long as everyone is having fun.
Have a Photoshoot as a Family
Family photos are a great way to remember those important moments like weddings and graduations, but they're also wonderful for everyday time you spend together. Hire a local photographer or just grab your own camera and take some pictures of the whole group.
The tricky part here is keeping the whole thing low-key. Don't worry about having everyone dress in matching outfits or wear a certain color for the family photos - just go for those candid shots that show people interacting with one another. That's what matters most.
Enjoy a Relaxing Family Get-Together
No matter what you choose to do with your family, there's no reason to make it complicated. There are lots of simple family activities that let you just spend some time together and enjoy one another's company. When it comes down to it, that's what matters most at any family get-together.
