Friday, July 8, 2011

Family Reunion on a Budget

Cousin's Club
(minus seven)

All twenty grandkids (plus their fourteen parents) are buzzing in and out of town this month, and that means a bunch of reunions. The fun is priceless, but can also get pricey.

I've discovered memories don't need to be expensive. Last Saturday's party-in-the-park (for 22 people) cost me under $20! Each family brought their own picnic, I furnished tablecloths, and the dollar store provided the entertainment:

Lars and Will

1. Funky plastic teeth for skits.

2. Jump rope (even the adults were jumping!)

Eliza and Jill duet

3. Two plastic microphones for an impromptu talent show: sixty seconds to prepare. There were songs, jokes, skills—we called out states and Chloe named the capitals; we called out states and Jacque named the teams. Scott did math problems in his head; Will climbed a tree. No practices or instruments necessary, and nobody was left out.

4. Critter hunt. ($4 worth of plastic bugs playing hide and seek.)

5. Squirt guns: Fill 'em up at the drinking fountain. Rule: You can't shoot at anybody who doesn't have a squirt gun.

Chloe and Lucy

6. Straw Relay: The teams passed gummy lifesavers with straws.

7. Paper Relay: Use the same straws. Suck up a piece of paper, run the course without dropping the paper—no hands. Repeat until one team finishes.

Jillian June (I think)

8. Soap on a rope: Carve ivory soap with plastic knives, and hang from a piece of string.

9. Flying High: Put together and fly wooden glider airplanes.

10. Glow-in-the-dark bracelet tag.

Family reunions don't have to be elaborate, painstaking or expensive. The preparation for this party was minimal—a group e-mail, thirty minutes in the dollar store, a bunch of cousins and a lifetime of memories.

Do you have any cheap, fun suggestions?


(I'm repeating myself here. This was originally posted August, 2010.)




2 comments:

  1. My three middle grandsons (ages 7 through 9)all love math so I always take a few decks of cards ($ store as well)for a variety of games:

    Addition War—Players turn up two to four cards and add them. The highest sum wins.

    Mult War-Multiply two cards. Hightest product wins.

    +/- Plack cards are negative,red positive. Greatest product wins.
    Have about 15 math games we can play with cards.

    I bought an old set of jacks on Ebay and will be teaching that game to the kids as well.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Funny,That is Jillian June!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    love,LUCY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete

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