IN A NUTSHELL: Do everything from nuts to soup backward.
MEET THE FAMILIES: FAMILYFUN received several letters from families who carried off this crazy theme. The following mix of backward ideas comes from the Burmesters of Roscommon, Michigan; the Maunsells of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada; the Trifones of Norwalk, Connecticut; and the Yauns of Liberty, New York.
THE RIGHT AGES: 7 to 10 years (kids who love a wacky idea).
THE INVITATIONS: The families either sent store-bought thank-you notes (get it?) or wrote the invitations backward to be read in a mirror. They also added a note suggesting that partyers wear their clothes backward.
THE DECOR: Balloons were hung upside down from ribbons on the ceiling, streamers were laid festively on the floor, signs were hung everywhere with crazy backward sayings (!emocleW and !yadhtriB yppaH). The tables were set with the chairs facing out and plates and silverware on a tablecloth on the floor under the table. One family even made an inside-out pinata--a big, partially inflated balloon with candy stuck on the outside.
HINT, HINT: Greet guests by saying "Good-bye!" and the kids will spend the rest of the party saying things backward. Which sometimes means you won't know if they really want a second piece of cake or if "yes" really means "no."
GAMES & ACTIVITIES: An obstacle course, run facing backward. Silent chairs, which goes by the rules of musical chairs except the sitting starts when the music starts. Sardines (a k a seek and hide), in which one person hides, and the rest look for him. As they find him, each player squeezes into the hiding place until the spot is jammed with kids. When the last person finds the hiding place, that kid gets to start a new game by hiding first. And, of course, pin the donkey on the tail.
SEEN & HEARD: "On the big day," writes Lisa Burmester, "our family dressed in our backward clothes and greeted our guests with 'bye' instead of 'hi.' They all wore their clothes backward, and some even had other things in reverse (their ponytails, ties, shoes, gift wrap)..."
"Gifts were absolutely incredible," writes Cindy Yaun. "Clothes were wrapped inside out, cards outside the envelopes, paper inside, thank-you cards instead of birthday cards, ribbons, cards and bows inside the boxes. My daughter's comment was, 'I can actually open the gift before the card!'"
THE AFTERGLOW: "To cap off the day, the birthday girl watched her party on video--in reverse, of course," writes Lori Maunsell.
FOOD, DRINK AND CAKE: One family made a cake, put it on a transparent plate and turned the whole thing upside down. They punched holes in the bottom of soda cans so the drinks could be served upside down with a straw. Another family turned cupcakes upside down, frosted them, and put a relighting candle in each, then sang "You to Birthday Happy." The Maunsells even let the kids eat cake first, then hot dogs--a big hit.
THE FAVORS: Brain teasers.
THANK-YOU'S: Either the mirror method or store-bought invitations.
