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As extended families spread out throughout the country, it becomes more difficult to get everyone together.  Holding a family reunion, then, gives everyone a chance to meet, catch-up and learn a little more about their family history.

Arranging a reunion can be a massive undertaking, and it’s easy to become overwhelmed. But with a little planning, anyone can pull off a successful family reunion.

Follow these tips to ensure a fun, rewarding family reunion experience:

Create a family reunion committee

You will need at least two people to plan location, food, activities, budget, mailings, payments and record-keeping. The better organized your committee, the more smoothly your reunion will run. You can never start planning too early – you will need to start at least a year ahead of time.

Pick a theme

esigning your reunion around a theme can make planning activities, food and decorations more creative. Family history themes, such a celebrating an anniversary, a birthday or a cultural heritage – a Mexican fiesta, for example – are always popular.

Develop a budget

Your budget will influence the rest of your decisions regarding housing, food and activities. When in doubt, plan for affordability – as much fun as a Caribbean cruise might be, it’s unlikely that every family member can afford to attend.

Plan housing

If possible, choose a location that offers a range of lodging choices. National parks, for example, often have hotels nearby and may have cabins or tent-camping available, giving your guests plenty of options.

Keep the kids entertained

Don’t presume that the grandparents or teenagers will act as babysitters for the whole reunion. Ask for volunteers, and rotate babysitting duties. Arranging competitions, like three-legged and costume races, will keep kids happy. You can even present the winner with a trophy – Plaquemaker Plus offers a variety of trophies, including “Trophy Dudes” with bendable arms and legs.

Create activities

Adults might be content to sit around and chatter, but integrating the whole family can be a challenge. Try giving each family member a family tree to fill out, or arrange a friendly game of family trivia. And don’t forget to take a family photo. Plaquemaker Plus (www.plaquemakerplus.com) can even create heirloom-quality wooden plaques or acrylic images, so you can offer a unique souvenir to any family member who wants one.

Article and Images by NewsUSA and nathan-101