Outdoor Family Reunion Event Ideas

There is nothing like the great outdoors. State parks, beaches, road trips to homesteads and tours. Good music, a breezy day and fun in the sun can set a restful and refreshing mood for a great reunion event.

Having an outdoor family reunion is probably the most economical approach for those entertaining large gatherings with many siblings. Why? Outdoor venues are 50-60% less expensive when compared to indoor venues such as a reception hall. Outdoor events are usually one-day events. 

Outdoor gatherings lend themselves to more creative activities. The sky's the limit when you consider all that you can do. Here are a few great ideas

1. TV Game Show Style Outdoor Games
2. Quilting Under The Wisdom Tree
3. 'Back In The Day' Family Interviews 
4. Family History Storytelling
5. Arts and Craft presentations
6. Genealogy Presentations
7. 'My Family's Got Talent' Show
8. Fantastic Bubble Show
9. Family Recipe BBQ Cook Off
10. Poetry Club

More more details consult the Book Fimark's Family Reunion Planner.

Fimark's Family Reunion Planner

Managing the kids is a whole lot easier.  Just direct them to the nearest baseball diamond, Playset or basketball hoop. Other great activities for kids include horseback riding and more. Best of all there's no indoor furniture or decor to break, mend and refurbish during and after the event.

The ideal season for an outdoor event is mid to late Spring when the weather is milder. Early Autumn can be ideal. But Summer is the time most often chosen for a family reunion. Why? The kids are off from school. It's the ideal vacation time and there are long weekends to take advantage of. 

Looking for inspiring themes, activities, and ideas to make your reunion something memorable? Get Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Guide and Keepsake. It's everything you need to plan, organize and manage a fantastic reunion. 


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DIY Family Reunion Fly Repellant

I love DIY everything. I tend to take pride in using my imagination, logic and a household item to come up with a solution to fix or resolve a problem that could have cost considerable time and money relying on a commercialized solution. You should see what I can do with a wire clothes hanger or aluminum foil.

Things You Can Make or Fix with Clothes Hanger Wire
Miniature Camera stand.
Secure a dragging car muffler.
Mend an arm on a metal chair pulling the wire thru the rivet holes.
Created a lampshade and Lampshade holder.
Make small hand crafted props like trees, shrubs and plants stand erect.
Make a sock holder (to air dry socks)
Make a Butterfly net
Make a Belt keychain holder
Make a bed spring replacement
Make Fly swatter with hanger, foil and tape.

Aluminum Foil
Perform car body work by tightly scrunch a mound of foil and molding it shape.
Sealed a muffler hole with it.
Raised the legs of a keyboard stand an inch or two with hard molded foil.
Make short and long wave radio antennas.
Make bottle tops.
Make a kite.
Make a glider plane.
Make an unsinkable boat.
Plug a dry bucket with it.
Make play money - coins
Make a pseudo battery placeholder.

DIY Bug Repellant
One of the most aggravating experiences a reunion planner can have is preparing a beautiful luncheon in the park only to be bombarded by pesky flies. There has been a lot of talk on the Internet about the most effective indoor/outdoor bug repellant for flies. Is there an effective DIY method to resolve this one? One of the more popular DIY methods goes like this: Hang a clear bag of water with a penny at the bottom. The bag is said to repels flies instantly.

There are numerous reports that this actually works but the reasons for it's effectiveness vary greatly. Some say it works because it looks like a spider ( the penny) in a web (bag of water). Others say the flies see a magnified reflection of themselves and think it’s a much larger predatory insect.

A more scientific explanation is that the penny keeps the water from growing algae thereby keeping the water clear and thus maintaining a highly reflective surface.

Flies have multiple eyes. That said, some believe that hanging the light reflective bags in direct sunlight creates a prism effect that repel flies due to the kaleidoscope effect taking place in the eyes of the fly.

Whatever the case there is a science to making it work and part of it is using a large ziplock bag, drop a penny in the bag and fill it halfway with clear water. Hanging it in an open space (not against a wall or stapled to a doorpost), Hang it in such a way that each side reflects and refracts sunlight.

Fun DIY Family Reunion Activities and Crafts
For fun DIY activity ideas planning your family reunion get Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Book
List Price: $17.99 Now as low as $14  Save: $3.99 (17%) here.

For fun DIY craft and outdoor game ideas get Fimarks Reunion Planner eBook for $7 at http://www.amazon.com.

To plan a complete family reunion event get Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Social web app discounted from $49 to $39 for a limited time only.  To get  more information about Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Social web app click on the link on this blog page or access the profiles page.

Hot Fun In The Summertime

The weather was the hottest in 30 years. Real feel 100 degrees! A real scorcher if I should say so myself and for a time we wondered if anyone would show up.

A no-show would be no surprise considering that the night before a brutal thunder storm moved with winds as high as 80 miles per hour. The severe storm knocked out power lines over a wide 30 mile radius and downed large 20 year old trees.

Many of the invitees were without power in their homes while others had to contend with structural damage. When we arrived at the park we were glad to see that no trees were down and the pavilions were in good condition. Still we noticed that the power outlets were dead. That meant our well planned surprise mini concert would have to be postponed. Not a disappointment. We would have more time to rehearse and present it during our September event. Just one more thing to look forward to.

Still we fired up the grill, blew up and hung decorative balloons and streamers, started up the bubble blowers and made sure we had plenty of iced water and cool water games. Then we waited, and waited and waited.

A few hours later a few showed up. An hour later more arrived. In time over 60 filled the two pavilions. The congregation annual Family BBQ had begun. This summer the event would be held at MeadowWood Park in Huntvalley MD.

The small park with lots of grassland was a first for us. It had a large playing field, cool shady pavilions and a small stream and cross bridge that local kids used to catch crayfish.

Family, friends and friends of friends attended. Everyone from little ones to our eldest were fully involved in the activities of the day.

As usual Brenda and I did much of the planning organizing and directing. We like to do something different each year and build anticipation weeks in advance. Wonderful memories were made, old friendships rekindled and new ones made.


Our activity list was as follows:
1, Face Painting
2. Bubble Games
3. Water Balloon Toss
4. Card Games
5. Prizes and Rewards


1. Face Painting - Face painting is indeed a craft requiring some practice. What you need is soft oil based face paint found at any party planning store or craft store. Small soft sponges. Soft bristle paint brushes work well. Stencils for making starts and heart shapes. Paper towels and soapy water for clean up.

2. Bubble Games - Kids will play with this for hours. What you need are various bubble wands in all shapes and sizes. A large flat tub full of bubble solution. Water and towels to wash soapy hands and faces.

3. Water Balloon Toss - Water balloons are a wonderful way to cool off in the hot sun. You'll need at least one hundred balloons for 10 minutes of fun. Small balloons are preferred as they are easy to handle and throw. Multiple colors make for a more attractive display that kids can't resist. Avoid over filling the balloon as they will burst as soon as they are handled. Fill the balloons with cool water only and place in a cool shady place until the games begin.




The most exciting activity of the day was throwing water balloons at each other mainly to cool off. The kids and kids at heart loved it.


After the games were over we offered stuffed bears, flamingos and monkeys to all the kids who helped clean up the water balloon fallout. They quickly cleaned up and excitedly claimed their prized rewards with great glee. The kids seemed to like the long armed stuffed monkeys best of all.

For more ideas for your summer reunion look inside Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Social web app. Follow the link on this page or access it from my profile.


Looking for more fantastic family reunion activity ideas? Find 7 fresh ideas at... http://familyreunionplanners.blogspot.com/2011/06/family-reunion-idea.html