• Reunions are a great chance for people to get reacquainted.family celebration image by Pix by Marti from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>
  
  A family reunion can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a bit overwhelming if you are the host. Plan some games to get the action going, break the ice for people who don't see each other very often and just to have some fun. Games don't have to be expensive or fancy to add to the party.
  
  

Family Bingo

• Make up some bingo-type cards on the computer and print out one for each adult or child over 6 who will be at the reunion. Create 25 squares, five columns across and five rows down. In each square, put a task or question. When everybody has arrived, hand out the sheets. Each player must get her bingo sheet signed off by a family member who knows the answer to a question (such as "How old is Grandpa Bill?") or performs a task (such as "Recite your favorite nursery rhyme"). Whoever completes the task or answers the question should sign in the square where that item is listed. Hand out fun prizes for the first five people getting every square signed. Nobody should sign a single sheet more than twice, and players cannot sign their own sheets. This game is great to get the party moving and to help people learn a little family history. It can also be adapted for other types of reunions with questions about classmates instead of family, for example.
  
  

Sack Race

• This game is a good choice for an outdoor reunion, picnic or party with lots of kids, though teens and adults enjoy this game as well. It can help burn off excess energy. Give each player a cloth sack big enough for him to stand in. Get old feed sacks from the feed store or use old pillowcases. All of the players line up behind the starting line---be sure to have this race on grass or another soft surface--and on the starter's signal they begin to hop toward the finish line. The first player to cross the finish line is the winner.
  
  

Hay is for Horses

• If your reunion or party includes kids in the 3- to 7-year-old range, this game will give them a chance to engage in a treasure dig and win some prizes. Make a pile of loose hay or straw. The easiest way to do this is to buy a bale at a feed store, cut the string and begin pulling the hay from one end of the bale, shaking it into a loose pile. As you make the pile of hay, drop in small toys, coins and wrapped candy. Be sure the items are appropriate for the ages of the children who will be playing. If you have enough kids, make different piles for the very young kids and another pile for the older ones, so the little one have more of a chance to find things. Give each child a goody bag and turn them loose on the hay pile. The excitement won't stop until the last treat is found.