The Harry Potter Party

The Harry Potter Party, complete with several different choices of Quidditch games, is designed for Harry Potter lovers age 8 through 11 in 3rd through 6th grade, with game choices based on their age.
And they DON'T have to be Potter fanatics to LOVE the games!
They can participate in various Hogwart's rituals, scoring point for their House, be it Ravenclaw, Griffindor or Hufflepuff- no one wants to be in Slytherin! The kids have to take their chances with the Sorting Hat, draw on their knowledge of Harry Potter lore (limited to Book 1 for this age group), make potions and cast spells, and of course, play Quidditch. Plus, a mystery to solve at the end of the party.
They have a WONDERFUL time doing this! Before I give you the full-blown description of the actual Harry Potter Party games, here are the

Quick Facts- so you know exactly what's involved

Preparation is a bit more involved than my other parties- about 3-4 hours to create your Hogwart's (depending which games you chose to include in your party)

they DON'T need to be Potter fanatics to have a great time
best for 10 and 20 children for 2 teams of 5 to 10 kids each

it will run between 1 and 2 hours, plus cake and ice cream or any other food you intend to serve, depending which games you choose and how many kids.
The Harry Potter Party is for both inside or outside play so you can plan it for outdoors but still be O.K. if it rains!
They love it- mine sure did! With all the Harry Potter hype out there- you know they'll be all excited and ready to have a super time at your Harry Potter Party!

Enter the Magical World of Hogwarts First Year

Muggles No More!
Greet your guests with a Hogwarts banner as they enter the World of Wizardry at your Harry Potter Party. And just like Harry, they need their Wizarding supplies. So start the transformation of these Muggles in Diagon Alley with a craft project that will actually be used later in the party.
Based on Styrofoam forms available at your local craft store, just give them a table or the floor, glue and/or pins and assorted items for decoration (all outlined in the instructions) and they'll turn themselves into Wizards-in-training!

Hogwarts Rituals
Hogwarts greets their first year students with a traditional feast of roast pig and roast beef and on and on and on....Your first year kids only need a little snack after their arrival. But it's a snack that is magic itself- and it begins the mystery they will solve at the end of your party. And just like Harry et al, while they dine their fate is determined by the Sorting Hat, and the team competition between the Hogwarts Houses begins. You'll receive complete instructions for this magic snack- very easy.
Now, it's time to test the Wizarding abilities of these recruits. For the younger set, a game of floor Concentration with images from the story. Making the images full page size and placing everything on the floor makes the spatial challenge just a little more difficult for your wizards. The older kids can play Jeopardy with progressively more difficult Potter trivia, and earn points for their Houses in both games. All game pieces for both games are included- just print them out

It's Time for Class
Start in Professor Snape's potions class. I've scoured the web for the best kitchen chemistry, and aside from the usual Slime and levitating raisins- both good fun- I've found one that really should amaze them. All directions are included.
Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class is next- a k a Charades with a Spell-making twist. It may sound simple, but it's challenging enough for the older end of the party's age spectrum yet the younger ones can do it at their level too.

Quidditch
No Harry Potter Party would be complete without it- but I've only seen outdoor, backyard versions- so I've devised two different indoor Quidditch games for your wizards.
Both utilize the craft project the kids made at the beginning of your party and other NON-DAMAGING, readily attainable equipment. One requires a bigger space than the other: basements, garages, even rec or living rooms (with valuable breakables removed) will work just fine. And there's an outdoor version included if that's your plan.

Mystery Finale
When Quidditch has played itself out and the game score has been tallied, the Owl Express delivers “You Know Who's” curse and starts the mystery rolling. After collecting well hidden clues, the first team to solve the puzzle wins big points for their House.
Compute the House scores for all the games, and serve your birthday cake and ice cream. No need to make a big deal out of who won and who didn't- they've all had a great time!

The Invitation that gets them all excited
All done in the requisite emerald green ink, delivered by Hedwig, and including their "ticket" for the Hogwart's Express on Track 9 3/4. The kids will start talking about your Harry Potter party the minute they get this, and all the curiosity gets them ready to participate and be part of the group when they arrive.