Backwards Theme Party

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A backwards party is one of the easiest and most fun parties to organise. It can also let you have fantastic backwards games and brain teasers.

I have tried to give you lots of graduation party ideas on backwards invitations, food, drink, backwards decorations, backwards costumes, backwards games and backwards favors which will be great for any venue. You may have a Home Party or alternative venue in mind for the graduation party.

Hosting the graduation backwards theme party in conjunction with the school for example is a brilliant idea. That gives:

• a good size of party with better backwards decorations and a more eye catching venue to get the everyone excited


• A budget, perhaps, to hire equipment, buy backwards decorations and hire entertainers


• Parents to help organise, raise funds and help at the party


• Lots of party goers to take part in each backward party game


• There is something great about everyone talking about a party, anticipating the fun. It builds the excitement early

With lots of fun, energy and enthusiasm your graduation backwards theme party can be a brilliant success.

Backwards Theme Party - Invitations

There are a few fun things you can do to brighten up the backwards theme party before it even begins:

• Write the invitations backwards, example ytrap ym ot emoc esaelp.


• Write the invitations so that the lettering needs to be viewed in a mirror.


• Send out Thanks Yous instead of invites to get it all the wrong way round.


• You could make an invitation that opens backwards with the details about the party on the outside and the picture on the inside.

Another wording example:

PVSR
etad/emit
semag drawkcab yalp dna knird, tea
ytrap noitaudarg eht ot emoc

Photo Graduation Invitations

Another idea is to simply arrange a good quality photograph. A photograph of the back of the graduate would be just fine here, or a photograph of the graduate wearing backwards clothes.

Scan it onto your computer. Using photo editing software, change the picture dimensions to the size you need.

Then simply print onto flat card with the printed invitation details on the back. Instant backwards theme party invitations.

Free Printable Graduation Invitations

Here is a printable invitation that you could use or get some inspiration from:

How about a prize for walking to the party backwards! A video of the backwards walk to the party should get a prize.

Backwards Theme Party - Confetti

One of the great graduation backwards theme party ideas is to have personalised confetti.

The most amazing photo confetti maker can produce confetti using up to 10 backward photos and up to 3 accent colors to suit your school colors or party decor. They have packs to suit your occassion. Use the graduate dressed backwards or photographed from behind.

This is a neat touch and one of the better graduation party ideas!

Backwards Theme Party - Costumes

Backwards theme party costumes are probably the simplest to do, inexpensive and fun.

Everyone just needs to put their clothes on back to front or inside out. Great clothing to do this with are jackets, front pattern t-shirts and sweaters, pyjamas and night wear.

A ponytail on your forehead is pretty funny as is wearing your underwear on top of your clothes.

If you wear your hair back, change it to forward.

If you can, wear shoes on the wrong feet it adds to the effect.

Try watches, necklaces and ties on your ankles.

Also upside down clothing with shorts on top and t-shirt on the bottom.

Of course, the theme may be backwards in time, in which case a baby suit would work. I think a better way of doing backwards in time is to go back to the day the class started high school (or college). Celebrate the graduation by wearing those old style clothes, old hair styles, using the language and jokes you used all those years ago. Also use old style cars and decorations. Think back to events at the time, popular music and fashion. This will also form the basis of the decorations.

Backwards Theme Party - Decorations

For the backwards theme party try and arrange as many backward, upside down and reversed things as you can.

All in the colors you have chosen for the party.

• Upside down balloons with backward writing on them


• Wear a backwards name tag


• Have upside down umbrellas


• Have signs with the graduate's name spelled backwards


• Make a banner saying “NOITAUDARG YPPAH”, "ENOD LLEW", "8002 FO SSALC", of course the banners may just be upside down.


• Turn pictures and whatever else you can think of upside down


• Table cover under the table, eat there! Also napkins, cups, cutlery upside down and in the wrong order. If any part of the tableware is customised have the spelling backwards on it.


• Chairs facing away from the table. Guests can eat with the plate on their knees. Hot food would not work doing this.


• Upside down masks, caps, flowers, and ornaments
• You need streamers anyway


• Upside down murals, pictures, and wall covers


If you have an artists friend ask them to draw a backwards giant mural which the guests can color in, add to and leaves messages to the gradute. The mural can be any backward view of the graduate.

• Exit signs instead of entrance, with party goers entering through the back door and leaving through the entrance


• If you can play videos of the graduate backward, starting at the most recent video and working back to the baby videos

Decorate your guests, this is a brilliant way to add to the party theme and getting your guests in the graduation backwards theme party mood!

• Funtoos


• 2008 Glasses, to wear upside down.


• 2008 Beads to wear upside down


• Graduation caps, to wear backwards


• Cap Medallions


• Lots of glow sticks and bracelets

A great idea is to have a box of guest decorations at the party entrance (exit) and hand them out liberally! This is a great way of also giving out the favors at the start of the party.

Backwards Theme Party - Food and Drink

For the backwards theme party food yes, I think you’ve guessed it. Just start with the dessert and finish with the main course. Also, where possible consider serving some things upside down – like cake and trifle etc. Kids absolutely love starting with dessert.

Also backward hot dogs and burgers with 2 pieces of meat sandwiching a half of bun.

The graduation cake can be baked as normal. The icing can have backward writing on it. The next section gives complete cake making details.

Graduation Cake

The Graduation Cake page gives all the instructions you need, including cooking tools, recipe, ingredients, cooking times and frosting instructions.

For a backwards cake you could just write the message backwards. Just bake a normal cake, frost it in the graduate's favorite colors and write the congratulations message backwards.

Backwards Theme Party - Games

A backwards theme party can start with the prizes and work back to the games!

• Greet your guests with “Goodbye, hope you enjoyed yourself”.


• When they leave say “Hello there, glad you could make it.”


• Make up some silly rules like – say the opposite of what you mean.


• Fill a jar with sweets and ask everyone to guess how many are in the jar. The prize goes to the person whose estimate is furthest out – don’t mention this at the time of guessing though.


• Guess Who, photograph the back of well known guests and have a guess who competition.


• See who can drink a glass of water standing on their head.


• A backwards running contest. Just set up a short running course and have the guests run backwards at the start signal. Could make it more fun by asking them to hold a pail of water


• Have a backwards sack race, you sinmply need a short course and sacks. The contestants just need to bounce backwards to the finish line. Most go off course!


• Play limbo backwards. It is a bit harder to go through head first.


• Have a backwards memory game. For example read out words or numbers and guests have to say them backwards.


• Play pin the tail on the donkey backward. You could blindfold guests and give them one chance to reach out and pull the tail off the donkey.


• Backwards toss game, with the party goers standing with their back to the bucket. They throw the balls up over their head to the bucket. Winner gets the balls in.


• Backwards spelling and singing contest. Just provide some long words to spell or a verse of a popular song and see if the guests can do it backwards. Prizes for style!


• Upside Down Binoculars. Make a small obstacle course with chairs, cushions on the floor and hula hoops. Everyone has to navigate the course looking through upside down binoculars.


• Backward obstacle course. Set up a short obstacle course that blindfold guests have to walk through backward guided by a partner.


• Say a phrase backward and see who knows it the quickest.


• Tell the punchline to a joke and see who has the best joke.

Play music backwards if you can!

Backwards Theme Party - Favor

How about a frame containing a picture of the graduate – the picture would be turned upside down of course. Or the picture could be the back of the graduate or the graduate dressed in backwards clothing.

You could give out the backwards theme party favors as everyone arrives and have backward writing on the bag.

For any party it is good to provide a bag of goodies. Blow outs, cake, pens, pencils, and a notepad.

Backwards Theme Party - Ideas

Some further backwards theme party ideas are:

• Take backward pictures of all the guests against an exit sign as they arrive.



• Take a video of the party. Post it to play backward on a private website.



• After the party send invitations with photos of the party!


• There will be lots of gifts for the graduate. Thank You notes written by the graduate are the best!


• Write out rough timings for the party, including expected games times and when you want to serve the food


• The kids need some free time just to play, arrange activity areas where they can choose what to do, or just run around exploring the backward graduation party ideas


• Stick to games the kids know, it can be too much to teach a new game


• Try to avoid games where some kids are out. An increasing number of bored kids will not help the party


• Protect your furniture, backward graduation party ideas can be messy. You may store special items for the duration of the party.


• Talk to your neighbours in advance. You can make sure they understand it may be noisy for one night and parking may be tricky.


• Save money and have a joint party with other graduates.
  This can give excellent cost sharing, lots of people to do the work and help find items at cheaper costs.


• Save money and Buy Bargain Supplies!


• Save money and book the backwards theme party venues for the cheaper weeknights


• Think about the venue and the likely weather. A tent, kindergarten, YMCA, local park or school gym can be great alternatives.

For favors, prizes and great party supplies see the worlds largest party store.

It's always fun to be silly from time to time and you can certainly manage that with a backwards theme party. Please share your party details and have your own web page for guests to leave comments on. Click here to share your party details.

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