Backwards Theme Party

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A backwards party is one of the easiest and most fun parties to organize.

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.

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 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 You's 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

Free Printable Graduation Invitations

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


Photo Graduation Invitations



Remember to mention that everyone should dress for the backwards theme party i.e. inside out and back to front.

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 personalized 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 occasion. 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 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, socks, shirts, underwear and sweaters, pajamas and night wear.

Also you may be adding a photo or logo to say a t-shirt. The photo could be taken or arranged backwards.

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 (also the wrong way up), 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 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", "6102 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 customized 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 graduate. 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


• Take different colored cardstock and cut out the letters of a congratulation message to the graduate. Set the letters out to spell the message backwards


• For movie fans find any still pictures and posters from the Brad Pitt movie The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button.


• Set up a scene such as the graduate in their room surrounded by their memorabilia. Put one backwards item like a fake pennant with backwards writing on it. Print out the photo and ask guests to find the backwards item.


• You may be able to use photo software to transpose some photos including the graduate so they are backwards, then just print them off and display. See if guests notice.

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

• Funtoos


• 2016 Glasses, 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 backwards theme party cake is very easy to make as all the ingredients are mixed together in the same bowl.

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 simply 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 can create the best joke.


• For a clue based game you could start with the final clue and work backwards


• Play a sports type video backwards and stop the action at some key point. Guests must guess what happened next.


• Play a Wasjig puzzle. They are excellent as the picture you see is the scene looking out from the real puzzle picture.

Play music backwards if you can!

Printable Party Games

Backwards Theme Party - Favors

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 party favors as everyone arrives and have backward writing on the bag. Give guests pens with their name and the party details backwards on them. Also you could also give guests t-shirts or baseball caps with their names written backwards on them.

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!


• After the party put together a magazine with all the party highlights and photos. The writing should be backwards unless it is just too tough to read.


• Helpers to wear their uniforms backwards


• 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 backwards theme 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 neighbors 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 book the backwards theme party venues for the cheaper weeknights


• Think about the backwards theme party 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.

Backwards Theme Party - Sharing

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 backwards theme party details and have your own web page for guests to leave comments on. Click here to share your graduation party details. This year we are having a bumper $100 prize fund. There will be an overall winner and runners up prizes. The winner will be the best overall graduation party story and photos.

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