Whether Harry Potter is your secret idol or the bane of your existence, the fact remains that kids love him! What better way to celebrate any occasion than letting Harry host your party? And if the real Harry happens to be unavailable, go for the next best thing--a Harry Potter-themed party full of fun and surprises. Harry Potter themes work best with a larger group, but with a little adaptation you can create Hogwarts fun for a group of any age or size!
Instructions
1. Make your guest list and create invitations. Store-bought Harry Potter cards are readily available, but if you're of a creative turn of mind you can make your own. Simple and familiar symbols to Harry Potter fans include lightning bolts, dragons, lions and broomsticks.
2. Decorate the party area with magical themed items. Cut stars from cardboard and cover them with aluminum foil, hanging them from the ceiling to create Hogwart's magical roof. Include a few atmospheric touches--a roaring fire, a handful of broomsticks in the corner, empty picture frames--whatever you have on hand can be transformed into a magical item! Don't forget to set up tables for snacks. If possible, set up 4 card tables and cover each with its own tablecloth (preferably vinyl) in the Hogwart's house colors (blue, red, green and yellow). Cover any large hat or box with outlandish fabric to create a sorting hat.
3. Divide your guest list into 4 teams, naming each team after a Hogwart's house (Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Slytherin and Hufflepuff). When your guests arrive, assemble them for the sorting. As each child tries on the sorting hat, it shouts the name of the house that child belongs to. This can be done very simply by having the host "interpret" for the hat. For a more impressive effect, hide a walkie-talkie or open cell phone somewhere in the hat's fabric and have an accomplice stand around the corner. The announcement will sound like it originates from the hat!
4. Give each child a piece of wood doweling and invite them to make their own magic wands. Provide art supplies for this activity (markers, paint, glue, glitter and anything else you can think of). As the children decorate, tell them that during the party the 4 houses will compete for the house cup by earning points. Any adult can award points for such things as helpfulness and manners. Points can also be earned by winning games.
5. Play Harry Potter-themed games, keeping track of the points each house wins. Some examples include pin-the-glasses-on-Harry's-face (easily constructed from poster board and markers), making magical potions (combining different types of soda and juice), and of course Quidditch. For the Quidditch tournament, you will need 2 teams, each consisting of 2 houses. Depending on the season, you can play Quidditch in an open indoor space (such as a gym or basement) or outdoors. Hide a small, brightly colored stone before the game begins (the snitch). Set up 2 goals and provide soft balls (such as nerf balls) for use as quaffles (balls used to score goals). Also provide 2 beach balls (or, if the weather dictates, wet sponges) for bludgers (balls the children toss at one another). Most of the children will be familiar with Quidditch--just make sure you have an adult handy to keep score!
6. Award prizes to all children. Small magic tricks are often available as party favors and make an excellent complement to a Harry Potter party. Have a small extra prize on hand for the house with the most points (stickers, small treats and party favors all work well).
7. Serve the children pumpkin juice (a mixture of orange juice and Seven-Up) to go with their meal. Create magical names for whatever you serve. For example, hot dogs become "Broomsticks in Clouds," french fries become "Deep Fried Worms." If you have a young crowd, the grosser the better! For dessert, serve "pumpkin pasties" (chocolate cupcakes covered in orange icing with a green jelly bean on top). Give each child a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (jelly beans) and encourage them to name each flavor.
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