15054

Backwards Party -8yr- Backwards Beanbags

February 2007

Cheryl in Bethpage, NY  USA

For my daughters 8th birthday we decided to have a backwards party. 

We printed invitations on the computer using the mirror image feature.  Her friends enjoyed reading it and holding it up to a mirror.  We decorated with balloons on strings hanging from the ceiling and happy birthday signs written backward. 

As the guests arrived we greeted them with goodbyes and handed them their goody bags (empty of course) with their names written backwards on them.  We made name necklaces (backwards of course) and everyone guessed how many pieces of candy were in a box.  The winner being the one who guessed the number furthest away! 

We sat UNDER the table around a table cloth and sang happy birthday backwards (you to birthday happy)- I had the words printed out for the kids. 

After cake we played lots of games.  We divided into teams and had a scavenger hunt following the clues I printed (mirror image) on the computer.  The kids loved this game.  At the end they found an envelope with a coupon for a prize.  They chose one from the prize bag.  Next we did the pinata- being everything was backwards, I had cut a hole in the top and the kids took turns throwing the candy into the pinata.  After everyone had a chance, I emptied the pinata so everyone could get some candy. 

I made a target on poster board and placed it on the floor.  The kids threw beanbags- backwards of course- onto the target.  We kept track of where they landed and at the end tallied it- we gave less points for the middle of the target and more points for the outside.  The winner chose a prize.  Next we ate dinner- under the table once again.  For drinks we served dnL- upside down 7up (this was a big hit) my husband poked a hole in the bottom of the cans and they drank the dnL with a straw. 

As they finished eating, I explained the next game.  I had written words for chardes on stickers and stuck one on each child's back.  They were told to not read them outloud so no one knew what their sticker said.  Each child had a turn to stand on a chair and let eveyone read their sticker.  Then all the other children acted it out until the child was able to guess what the word was.  This was a lot of fun and the kids laughed a lot. For the next game I had printed some of the words to some of the popular songs (HS Musical, Hilary Duff etc.) backwards(last word first).

Next we divided into groups and each group chose a song and practiced singing it backwards.  They then sang it for all the other kids and they tried to guess what song it was.  They had fun with this.  Each group then wanted to sing it the regular way as well so we did. We played freeze dance- dancing when the music was off and freezing when the music started. 

We said hellos and your welcomes as the guests left.  We later though that it would have been fun to start with gifts- allowing each child to open the gift they brought.  The kids had so much fun and asked what we were going to do for next years party.

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