Children will get a kick out of planning a “backwards day.” Remind them to wear clothing inside out and work through your daily schedule from the bottom up. Start with a good-bye song and end your day with the Pledge of Allegiance and a greeting. At lunch eat your dessert first. What else can the children suggest?
Opposite Song
(Tune: “Shortnin’ Bread”)
We can do opposites, opposites, opposites.
We can do opposites follow me.
Top and bottom… (Touch top of head and bottom of foot.)
Front and back… (Touch tummy and then back.)
Happy and sad… (Smile and then frown.)
Left and right… (Hold up left hand and then right.)
Up and down… (Point up and then down.)
Loud and soft… (Say, “Loud,” loud and “soft,” soft.)
Open and shut… (Open and shut hands.)
Stand and sit…and put them in your lap! (Stand and then sit and put hands in lap.)
Let children suggest other opposites you could sing in the song.
Opposite Game
Whatever the teacher says, the students do the opposite. For example if the teacher says “cry” the children laugh. If the teacher says “up” the children point down.
Have children fold a sheet of paper in half and illustrate opposites.
Use a T-chart to write words that are opposite.
Take photos of children acting out antonyms and use them to make a class book.
Hint! Introduce the word “antonym” and explain that it means the same thing as “opposite.”
