Great games and posing prompts for family portrait sessions

Here are some great games and posing prompts for family pictures that will help create some memorable pictures during your family photoshoot. I love to use these as they are always result in a great picture.

Tickle fight!

An all time favorite, and always successful. Tickle fights are awesome! I start with the family sitting or standing together which gives me a chance to capture a traditional group shot as well. Then I have the parents tickle the kids, or instruct the kids to tickle each other.

“Kids look at camera, parents look at kids”

A great pose to start out with. It is very easy and gives the posed picture a very natural look. I instruct the kids to look at the camera and smile and ask the parents to simply look down at the kids. 

The “Bug in the Camera” trick

Got a child that does not want to look at the camera? That’s when I play the bug card. I ask them if they could check if there is a bug in my camera.  And 98% of the time it will get them to look straight into the lens. Should I have a child telling me there is no bug, I will ask them if they are really, really sure there is no bug. They will keep looking and I will keep shooting.

“Do NOT smile”

“Do NOT smile, I repeat DO NOT smile.” what do you think the result of this instruction is ? If you are photographing children you have a fifty-fifty chance of either the children busting out laughing or they will give you an awesome serious expressions and you will have a unique photo opportunity.

“Run and give Mom/Dad enormous hugs”

I have the parents stand in a designated spot, maybe even kneel down if the kids are younger. The kids stand at a distance with me. I asked the kids to wait for a signal from me then run to the parents for a big hug. The longer I wait with the signal the more the kids get excited. This is a great prompt to get a little bit of energy out and the resulting pictures are priceless. 

“Walk and talk”

I ask everybody to form a straight line across and instruct them to walk somewhere and causally chat. Either walking towards me or away from me. Love the interaction these pictures capture and the more natural and not staged look.

“Parents kiss! Kids, cover your eyes!”

This one never fails, no matter the age of the kids! I love taking this shot. It helps me capture an intimate moment between the parents and a silly moment with the kids.

Mom and Dad stand together facing each other. The kids stand away from the parents and facing me. I tell the parents to kiss, and the kids to cover their eyes. I start making comments like “Eww!”,“Gross!” and “What about Cooties!” to get some great reactions. Silliest of faces guaranteed …

“Look at the person who…”

Another fun game sure to capture unique expressions from laughs, to mischief, to disbelieve. Based on the age of the family members, you can fill in the blank. The goal of this prompt is to get the family members to naturally look at each other, and laugh. Try the following options:

• Is the grumpiest in the morning
• Took the longest to get ready today
• Makes the silliest faces
• Tells the worst jokes
  

Play “Guess Your Age”

The “Guess your age” game will help engage the little ones. I tell the kids I will guess their age. Then I  guess much higher. If the child is 5 years old, I guess that they are 10 years old. The kids love me guessing wrong and get a kick out of it. And then it is their turn to guess their parent’s age or my age. The faces are priceless and not just on the children’s faces !

I like to create an environment in which everyone feels comfortable and has fun. I know how important it is to keep the young family members moving and engaged. The games and prompts above are just a few of the interaction you can expect when we will be taking family portraits together.  So let’s have some fun together and be prepared for lots of tickles, giggles and laughter, and capturing those perfect moments.

In the comments below leave me your most favorite game with the young members in your family. What  guarantees you a bright smile from your child?