Harry Potter Party

This is my Harry Potter getting the snitch. The 9th birthday party was an immense success. What started out with invitations by owl delivery, turned into a Harry Potter extravaganza. The party began with an official sorting ceremony, sorting hat and all (a sorting hat was on my list to make, but after five sets of robes, I ran out of time!) Thank you Halloween store. This is Fleur De La Coeur getting placed into Gryffindor.

Sandy sat under the sheet and “acted” out the sorting hat saying personalized comments for each child like, “Hmmm, very bright, likes horses, loyal friend, . . . better be Gryffindor!” We sorted them into two houses and pinned badges on each of them in turn.

Once the kids were sorted into houses, we moved to Divination Class with Professor Trelawney. My mother, eccentric and spiritual to begin with, fit the part perfectly. We decked out a room in a white fabric tent so the kids had to crawl inside and sit on pillows on the floor.

With her bangles jingling, Trelawney laid out her tarot cards and read each of their fortunes.

Enthralled, the kids looked wide eyed at each other’s cards. With cards like “Magical and Spiritual Prosperity” or “Wise Choices” or “Truth,” the fortune telling actually turned into good and lively discussion.

From Divination we moved to Potions class with Professor Snape.

We had a cauldron filled with dry ice which absolutely entranced the kids. I never tire of it either, frankly–the bubbling, the frost, the way the steam falls – so cool!

More than one container of the dry ice might have been good :). I was a tad concerned about freezing the fingers of a couple of 9 year olds.

The kids each mixed their own “potion” in a personal cauldron (a Halloween mug they got to take home with them) adding things like Dragon Hearts (red licorice) and Flobberworm Mucus (caramel sauce) to ice cream. I loath little plastic bags of junk that come home from most parties! I always try to make the party favor a nice thing that will hopefully be used again.

C has never been a cake kid, so he was perfectly happy with ice cream sundaes. Doesn’t he make an adorable Harry Potter? I might be biased. Making the cloak was super easy. I will share a tutorial for this at some point, though I’m a bit late for the Halloween rush!

Next came the highlight of the party, which was the Quidditch Match! The kids brought brooms of varying sorts and we struck out with a quaffle (the blue bouncy ball), the bludgers (orange soft balls), and the snitch (a sparkly super ball).

Here are the rules:

1. The kids must keep the broom between their legs at all times.

2. The goal is to get the quaffle into the goal by passing it from player to player. No player can take more than three steps with the quaffle.

3. Anyone may pick up a bludger and throw it at another player. If a player is hit by a bludger, that player must stay still for 5 seconds, dropping the quaffle if they have it.

4. Keep an eye out for the snitch at all times, which may be released (read super high bounce of a superball) at any time randomly during the game.

We had goals set up at either end constructed out of hula hoops and foot stools. I had a fabric covering for the base and the clips, but it was just too windy for it to stay in place. The game was great fun, filled with daring runs for the snitch, exciting goals, and great defense. The kids picked up the rules amazingly fast.

Here is the birthday boy flying on his Swiffer 3000.

I’m hoping I made some of this 9 year old’s birthday wishes come true.