When you write your name on a piece of paper and hold it up to a mirror lateral inversion will cause what you have written to appear backwards, or as if you had written your name in reverse. As a fun activity, attempt to write messages on a new piece of paper backwards to see a true, legible message will appear when held up to a mirror.
Using a ruler or protractor, draw a 90-degree angle on a piece of paper with a pencil. Extend the arms of the angle out to the edges of the paper. With the paper on a table, place a mirror at the end of both angle arms. Place a lit candle in the middle of the paper so you can see its reflection in both mirrors. Count the number of images you see in each mirror. Next, move the candle to different angles on the paper - use the protractor to determine your angles - and notice how the number of images multiplies with each new position.
Illusion tricks are a good demonstration of lateral inversion.Stand up a small plane mirror with no backing on a table or desk. Place a candle on one side of the mirror roughly one foot from the mirror's surface. Place a second candle on the opposite side, again one foot from the mirror. Light the wick of one candle. While peering through the mirror plane, move the lit candle until it is aligned with the second candle on the other side of the table. The light will reflect off and through the plane mirror, creating the illusion that both candles are lit.
Funhouse activities can happen at home. Bend a long mirror into a concave or convex shape; the mirror will need to be thin and flexible in order to bend. Next, stand in front of the mirror to observe your reflection. Depending on the direction of the mirror's bend, you will appear either taller or shorter.