How to Plan a Fall Family Reunion

Autumn is an idea for family reunions. The weather is usually comfortable, with just a slight chill in the air. Fall also allows for more fun activities such as hayrides and storytelling by the fire. The season sometimes makes people want to reminisce about the good old days as another year begins to come to a close. By checking out your local resources and planning activities, your family reunion can be a great success for the fall season.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Decide on a date to have the reunion during the fall months of September through November. Planning a reunion around the earlier months of fall could be more weather-friendly than others.

2. 

   Contact area parks and recreation centers ahead of time. Begin planning at least 2 to 3 months in advance to be sure that you will have a reservation that you want. Make sure that the park area has a pavilion in case of rain. Should the weather turn cooler earlier than expected, reserve a community building or party hall as backup for hosting the reunion.

3. Purchase fall-themed invitations or stationary paper with leaves or harvest decorations at a party planning store or retail outlet such as Wal-Mart. Have another member of the family help you write out the invitations or print them on the computer. Send invitations out at least a month in advance so that family members are able to plan their schedules accordingly. Include a RSVP date on the invitation so that you can have a total head count.

4. 

   Suggest that each family brings firewood, ingredients for smores or outdoor game ideas for children. Also leave a blank line so that families can list what kind of food they will be bringing to the reunion. This will refrain from too many duplicate food trays at the reunion.

5. 

   Contact any service or group that offers hay rides. If you are unable to locate a service, ask family members who may know of anyone with a wagon and tractor. Hay rides would make a great addition to your fall family reunion.

6. 

   Build a fire. Have family members share stories about their lives, such as favorite fall memories. This will help family members learn more about each other and their history. Gather the ingredients for smores and pass them around so that everybody can enjoy a sticky treat as they listen to the stories.

7. Send a questionnaire home with all of the family after the reunion is over. Include questions such as when is the best time to schedule the next reunion and where they would like to have it, and have them bring some past fall family photos to the next get together. This is also a great way to get everybody's contact information up to date as well.