Between the scheduled events, really connect! 3 simple in-between family reunion activities

SALT LAKE CITY — Planning a family reunion is a huge job, and there are plenty of ideas for the obvious details: feeding a crowd, keeping everyone entertained, finding activities for all ages. But real connection often happens in the spaces between those scheduled events.

Kate Mulford shared three small, in-between ideas that will make your reunion more meaningful and memorable.

Connect in the Planning

Mulford said successful reunions start before it even begins.

"If you set up the reunion for success, even before you are there," she explained, "you can experience those magical moments in those little in-between conversations and corners."

One of her favorite ways to do this is pairing people together during the planning process. Instead of assigning out tasks to just one person or family, she said to put together partnerships that foster relationship-building.

"Pairing up a cousin with another cousin that they may have not seen for a long time, or an older cousin with a younger cousin," Mulford explained.

Those pairings give opportunities for family members to connect before the reunion even starts.

"That will foster those connections between those two and help before they come," she noted.

In Mulford's family, they have a tradition of doing a fishing pond activity for the younger kids. But, it's the older cousins planning it for the littler cousins.

"Those two age groups can get together and get to know each other," she emphasized.

Start Strong

Mulford believes the beginning of a reunion matters more than people realize.

"We call it the opening ceremonies," she said. "It's one of my favorite parts."

This gathering is a kickoff moment that builds excitement and establishes the family culture for the days to come. In Mulford's family, the event often includes the older generation setting the tone.

"It's my grandma. It's my aunts and uncles," she noted. "It's just an opportunity to create a positive, exciting atmosphere that will hopefully just roll into the rest of the reunion."

At a recent reunion, the family went with a 1970s theme and did a parody inspired by The Brady Bunch.

"They sang the Brady Bunch but to the tune of the Richardson Bunch," Mulford explained.

They put together a custom backdrop and the family participated by poking their heads through at the right time.

"It looked like the Brady Bunch… but it was their family," she said.

Link Past & Present Through Your Activities

While games and crafts are fun, Mulford suggested thinking beyond basic entertainment.

"There can be a lot of flashy things," she explained. "The food, the games, the crafts... If you are meaningful in those particular activities, in the way that you are trying to foster connection at the same time, you can check both boxes."

Activities are more impactful when you can intentionally connect them to family stories, traditions or values. One of Mulford's favorite reunion experiences was learning a special family recipe. They had a cooking class where they all learned how to make her late grandpa's famous fudge.

"We learned the recipe, and we ate it," Mulford said. "They had pictures of him with the fudge."

The activity was fun and hands-on, but it was also an opportunity to connect with family history.

Find more fun ideas from Kate Mulford on Instagram, @katemulford.

This story was adapted from a TV broadcast script using artificial intelligence. Every story, including those adapted with AI, is reviewed by a human editor before publication to ensure that KSL's editorial standards are upheld.