Celebrate Backwards Day!

Tweet

January 31st is Backwards Day! It’s a time to play and be silly. Here are five fun ideas for turning your day around.

January 31st is Backwards Day! It's a time to play and be silly. Here are five fun ideas for turning your day around.

Dress backwards.

If you normally dress your children from head to toe, start feet first today. Have them wear one piece of clothing “the wrong way.” Put a sweater or hat on backwards. Be sure to lead by example and dress yourself accordingly! Kids (and good-humored adults) will find it hilarious. If the style reversal catches on, don’t worry. Dressing backwards can be an improvisational solution to clothing that no longer seems to fit and child psychiatrist Elizabeth Berger says it's harmless.

Talk backwards.

First, come up with something clever to say. Now write or type it as you normally would. Then, while looking at the letters you just wrote, write or type the same thing backwards. Try to pronounce what you just wrote! If you can’t think of anything right this minute, start reading this paragraph backwards. Doog Kcul!

Write backwards.

Leonardo da Vinci was a painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer. He was, without question, one of the most forward thinkers of his time. Did you know that da Vinci wrote backwards? To keep his ideas secret, Leonardo da Vinci used “mirror writing.” He’d start writing at the right side of his notebook and move leftward across the page. Try it for yourself! See how da Vinci would transcribe your thoughts with this Museum of Science da Vinci generator.

Draw backwards.

When asked to draw a portrait, most artists will begin with the face and front of the body. Not today! Try drawing what you can’t see. Use your imagination. Have kids draw different animal’s tails and then try to guess the animal. Draw the bumpers of cars or the back of a friend’s head!