Updated on: Feb 16, 2024
Holding a backwards theme party can be a fun way to shake things up this party season. Here are a few party ideas to have your guests rewind and unwind, whether it be for a kid or an adult party. This could also act as a fun birthday party theme!
Backwards Theme Party Ideas: Decorations
1. Backwards Signs
Have an “Exit” sign on your front door and an “Enter” sign on your back door.
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2. Flipped Art
Make posters in reverse, flip around any artworks you have. Taping upside-down pages out of a coloring book so that guests can leave “their own mark” would be the “top on cherry”.
3. Balloons
Fill balloons with air, take a string, and hang them from the ceiling (not too low, or they will be in everyone’s way too much), so they look upside-down.
4. Streamers
You can put streamers all over the ground (instead of the ceiling).
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5. Floor On The Ceiling
If you want to go beyond expectations, try gluing the objects that would be usually found on the floor to the ceiling. Anything from shoes to toys, to just litter. It’s best to use items that will not get damaged or are not precious. Also, make sure the glue can hold all the objects well, so there are no shoes falling on guests’ heads in the middle of the fun!
6. Reverse Happy Birthday Banner
Hang up banners that say "Happy Birthday" written backwards to read (!yadhtriB yppaH or Birthday Happy) or hang them up upside down.
Backwards Theme Party Ideas: Favors
7. Silly String
Supply silly strings in fun gift bags with the guest’s name written backward on them.
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8. Dress Code
Include special instructions on your invitations to dress 'inside-out'. Encourage guests to have fun with their outfits and have the clothing tags sticking out of their outfits. If guests want to get extra silly, they can even layer clothes in a mismatched order like wearing undergarments over their normal clothing.
9. Framed Photo Cardstock
Rent a photo booth or buy a polaroid to take pictures of guests throughout the party. Before giving each guest their picture, write their name backward on the back. This should really captivate the party in everyone’s memory.
10. Hand Mirrors
Everything is backward inside a mirror, so what better party favor for a backward theme party than a hand mirror? Buy some mirrors, decorate their backs, and hand them out along with other favors.
11. Party Favors
Set a table with goody-bags, balloons, and miniature piñatas with a fun catch; have the candy taped or glued on the outside and fill the inside with graffiti or shredded paper! This combination will act as a wacky gift but it'll definitely be memorable!
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See on Oriental Trading Company12. Reverse Thank You
When the guests will begin to leave, hand each one of them an invitation letter! It can be written backward as well. Instead of writing “the party happens on...”, write “the party has happened on...”, and similar- this way it will look like a confusing invitation letter, but the guests will remember that it was a true backward party!
Backwards Theme Party Ideas: Food
13. Pizza in Cup
Serve pizza in a cup instead of a plate.
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14. Red Pasta With White Sauce
Guests are probably accustomed to seeing white-colored pasta with red sauce, so switch it up by flipping them! There should be some red pasta available at your local Target- or, you can always ship home!
15. Pineapple Upside Down Cake
This is a tasty dessert in which you place the pineapple on the bottom of the pan, and then the cake, and then you flip it upside down. There are multiple in-detail recipes available online!
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16. Uramaki Sushi
Serve sushi in which the rice is on the inside instead of the outside.
17. Backwards Dining Area
Instead of putting a tablecloth on the table, put it on the floor underneath the table. Arrange the chairs so that they face outward instead of towards the table.
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18. Upside Down Brownie Sundae
This fun dessert has chocolate sauce on the bottom of the dish, ice cream on top of the chocolate sauce, and a brownie on top of the ice cream. Also goes by “Floating Brownie”.
19. Cake In a Wine Glass
Who says that cake needs to be served on a plate? Instead, pass out wine glasses, or for a more child-friendly option, cups! Have guests stick them in through the outer corners of the frosting, carving out their desired portions, and enjoy!
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20. Inside-Out Hot Dogs
Slice the hot dog in two and place a hot dog bun between the two hot dog slices.
Backwards Theme Party Ideas: Games & Activities
21. Backwards Obstacles
Set up an obstacle course in your backyard, and have party guests do them walking backward. The obstacles don’t have to be difficult, as it will be much easier to trip walking backward. Make sure to provide some safety measures – a guest walking alongside the player guest to catch them if they fall would be enough.
22. Backwards Actions
Have everyone do everything backward at your party. It could be things like walking backward, saying “goodbye” as guests are coming in, and “hello” as they leave.
23. Reversed Jokes
Tell jokes with the punchline first and see who can figure out what the original joke was. Give out some popsicle sticks with jokes on them (check online for a DIY) fun way to start out.
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24. Backwards Message Games
You’ll need Scraps of paper, pencils, and hand mirrors! Have everyone sit in a circle and take scraps of paper from a pile. Hand out pencils so that everyone can write messages on scraps of paper. Give everyone a hand mirror so that they can write the messages backward.
Make sure to put a letter limit to ensure that it is the same difficulty level for everyone. Have the players go around in the circle and share their piece of paper with the backward message on it. The first one to figure out the message (without a hand mirror, of course) wins!
25. Goose, Goose, Duck activities
Play the popular children's game “Duck, Duck, Goose,” but backward – say “Goose, duck, duck” instead!
26. Backwards Bingo
Start by covering all the spaces on the cards. You can write the words backward on the cards, say them backward, or both! When a number is called, remove a piece. When someone gets a bingo, have them shout “ognib” instead.
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27. Backwards Vocabulary
Have everyone speak in a backward language, where words have the opposite meaning. For example, No means Yes, Hi means Bye, Give means Take, and so on.
28. Backwards Meal
Serve a meal backward. This means serving dessert first, then the main course, then soups and salads last.
Backwards Theme Party Ideas: Supplies
29. Upside Down Tableware
When you're setting up the table, place all your tableware (utensils, cups, glasses, plates) upside down to really throw your guests in for a loop.
30. Outward-facing Chairs
Turn the chairs so the seats are facing away from the table to create a backward eating experience your guests will be unfamiliar with.
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31. Tablecloth and pillows
Another option is to set up a tablecloth under your table where guests can enjoy their backward meals. With some comfy pillows to sit on, eating under the table is definitely on theme.
32. Backwards Pictures
If you have any pictures hanging up upon your house, be sure to turn them around or hang them upside down to further emphasize the backward theme for your party.
33. Backwards Clock
If you really want to be on theme for your backward party, get a backwards clock to hang up on your wall to really immerse yourself into the theme. It may be a bit confusing so you may want a regular clock to rely on throughout the party.
Backwards Theme Party Ideas: Invitations
34. Backwards Invitations
Write your invitations backward. For example, instead of “Come to my party on Saturday afternoon,” write “afternoon Saturday on party my to Come”. For an extra POP consider making this in 3D print.
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35. Mirrored Invitations
Look up how to “mirror” your invitation text on various software to create zany invitations that must be turned upside-down first and then read in a mirror. Put a “right-way” message on the bottom of the invitations informing your guests how to read their invitations.
36. Reverse Invitations
Send out thank-you notes instead of invitations. Be sure to include the date and time of your party in some way! You can even add this part to a fun label or sticker.
37. Inside-Out Invitations
Prepare your invitations in an inside-out manner. by writing all the information that would be on the inside, actually appear on the outside. That way, the card will open up to reveal the typical exterior of the card.
38. Backwards Cards
Be consistent with the backward theme by making sure not only your invitation is backward, but the envelope it comes in is as well. If you are planning on adding any stickers or drawing any doodles, place them upside-down.
Backwards Theme Party: Conclusion
Now that you have all of the ideas that you may need for a backwards theme party, go ahead and start planning it!
Writtten by Stephanie Castillo and Matvei Mozhaev; Contributor: Sonam Choedon