Hogwarts Birthday Party: Part 4

The Activities

To have a complete Harry Potter birthday party, simply decorating your home is not enough. You will need some games or activities to keep your little Hogwarts students busy and interested for the duration of your party.

Our party sort of followed Harry Potter's first day of school; from the letter of notification, to Diagon alley, to sorting, to class and then home again.

Because we had so much to do and only 3 hours to do it, I printed a schedule for myself to follow with specific times allocated for each activity. In the end, this was a great help in keeping my party on track and on time!


Diagon Alley

When party guests first arrived at our house, they were greeted and immediately taken to Diagon Alley. This was done by my daughter but it could be done by an adult dressed as Hagrid for more effect!

Their first stop was at Gringott's Wizarding Bank where they were given 3 gold galleons (play coins purchased at the Party Store). My son played the banker since he was already ready to go. A table in my living room covered with a gold table cloth and a small trunk with the gold inside served as the bank. An ornate sign indicated Gringott's.

They were then led to Madam Malkin's Robes for Every Occasion. My kitchen table was laid out with her robe shop on one side and Olivander's wands on the other side. Signs were set on the table to indicate each store with another sign on the wall overhead saying "Diagon Alley".

Once at Madam Malkin's (played by my mom), the guests were measured by Madam Malkin in silly ways - their nose, their head, their hands, legs - and then given a robe which they had to pay 1 Galleon for. She then directed them to choose a wand from the other side of the table which cost another Galleon.

When the children were finished with their purchases, they could sit and watch Harry Potter I until all the guests had arrived and bought their supplies.


Hogwarts Express

I thought it would be fun to simulate the trip on the Hogwarts Express somehow to make the transition from Diagon alley to Hogwarts more believable.

Since there was no way to get a train in my house ;-) I settled for train sounds and imagination. I found several great train sound effects online which I downloaded and burned to a cd. These included a loud whistle, the cars clanging and the training moving.

Once all the guests were ready, I started the whistle sounds and called the kids over to platform 9 3/4. The platform was simply a doorway which went from my kitchen to another room where the door to the basement was. I covered the doorway with a beige plastic tablecloth (that matched my walls) and cut it up the middle so the kids could run through. One by one, the children lined up, gave me their last Galleon, and ran through the "wall" while the train sound effects played from the other side..

Now all the kids had "arrived" at Hogwarts and were standing in front of the basement door (adorned with another Hogwarts poster). Of course, the door was locked and needed an Alohamora spell to open it ;-) We all went downstairs and the kids had a seat at the great hall table.


Sorting Ceremony

As headmistress, I was in charge of sorting the new arrivals into their houses. Each child's name was read from a great scroll to come up and sit on the sorting stool and the sorting hat was placed on their head. Inside the sorting hat, I made a pocket for a cellphone (or walkey talkey could be used) and it was set to speakerphone so everyone could hear. Upstairs, my friend (who played Snape) had the other phone and would read each child's name, a small snippet about them and announce their Hogwarts house. They then received a sticker with their house emblem to stick on their robe and a wizard's hat. Stickers and jewels were laid on the table so the kids could decorate their hats while they waited. As soon as all the kids were sorted and finished decorating their hats, the real fun at Hogwarts could begin!


Snape's Potion Class

Probably the most memorable and (funnest to prepare for) part of this party was Snape's Potion Class. Basically, each student had to create their own potion out of Snape's creepy collection of ingredients and record their potion on paper.

Months before the party, I started collecting various bottles and interesting containers to use for his potion ingredients. Each bottle was labeled accordingly. The ingredients consisted of different candies and powdered ingredients that could pass as the items that Harry would have used in his potion recipes. For example, Powdered sugar could be "Powdered Unicorn Horn". Here is a list of some of the supplies we used:

Fire Seeds = pop rocks
Powdered Dragon Blood = powdered punch mix
Werewolf Fangs = gummy teeth
Volcano Ash = hot chocolate powder
Powdered Boomslang Skin = powdered sugar
Ground Wolfsbane = powdered iced tea
Rats Tails = black licorice laces
Horntail Dragon Eggs = chocolate rocks

Use your imagination and see how many ingredients from the books you can create from edible items like candies or cooking ingredients.

I printed up a "Potion Sheet" on parchment paper for each child to write the name of their potion, what it did, and the ingredients used. Feather pens were fashioned out of cheap ball point pens with white feathers glued inside the top. The kids got a great kick out of writing with these :)

Once the children arrived in Snape's class, he was quick to lecture them and set them to work (in pairs) creating their own potions out of the dry ingredients. Cheap plastic cups were used to hold the ingredients until they were finished. When time was up, all the kids had a seat on the floor as Snape read their potions out loud and "activated" them with water. Once the water hit the pop rocks (if they used that as an ingredient) the potion would spit and fizzle to the student's delight. The author of the potion was given the choice to drink it and see if it worked.



Snape's Potion Class was such a hit that I've used it for other parties and will be incorporating it in our Halloween party this year, only with creepier and scarier ingredients ;-)




The Great Feast

While Snape was busy entertaining the kids in his class, I was getting the great feast ready. Earlier in the day, I made several platters of foods like cheeses, vegetables, fruits, and pizzas, all beautifully displayed on "silver" platters purchased from the Dollar Store. I fit as many platters on the table as I could so that the effect would be just like Harry's first feast at Hogwarts.

Because the kids were still in Snape's class, I had time to set the table with all the food and fill the cups with Butterbeer (made from ginger ale and warm butterscotch sauce). See Britta's site for more great recipes. Harry Potter plates and napkins were used to set the table and each child received a flashing goblet with their name written in gold ink. (Of course I made up a funny spell to activate the cups and showed the kids how to light them up). They also had a mini cauldron filled with Bertie Botts (jelly bellies) to take home later.

When Snape's class was over and the kids returned to the great hall, it looked like the feast had magically appeared and they all sat down to eat with great enthusiasm.

Following the great feast was birthday cake of course. In keeping with the Harry Potter theme, I made a golden snitch for the cake. The snitch shape was easy since it was just a round double layer cake covered with icing and gold flakes. The wings were a bit harder - I used craft wire covered with gold tissue paper and stuck them in the sides of the cake. The whole creation was presented on a long platter (to support the wings).


Presents & Pinata

After the feast, everyone went upstairs to open presents. that gave my helpers time to clean up the feast and push the tables to the side of the room to make way for the pinata. The chandelier that was hanging in the middle of the room was removed and the pinata hung in its place.

The pinata was also a golden snitch. Again, the body was easy since it is just a circle. For the wings, I used wire clothes hangars bent into the proper shape and covered with gold tissue paper. The body was also covered in gold tissue paper which really made for a cute oversized snitch.

Making a pinata is easy. First start with a balloon in the appropriate shape. We used a perfectly round balloon for the snitch. Tear pieces of newspaper in 1 inch strips. Mix a bowl of "glue" using flour and water. The consistency should be like watery glue. Dip each strip of paper in the glue mixture, lightly scrape off the excess and then place your strip on the balloon, being careful not to layer any one section too thick. Once that layer is dry (usually overnight) you can start a second layer, etc until you reach the desired thickness for your pinata. Be sure to tie a thick string around your pinata in between layers so you have something to hang it up with.

After presents, the kids were lead back downstairs and each had a turn whacking the pinata until it broke open.

Inside the snitch I did not put candies, but instead it was full of names. I printed names like Dumbledore, Harry Potter as well as each child's name so that when the pinata broke, they fluttered to the ground like confetti. The kids had to search the floor for their name and then go back upstairs to claim their prize.


Goodie Bags

To give the kids a way to remember their day at Hogwarts, they were able to keep several items as souvenirs. They were given their robe, their wizard hat, their flashing goblet, their wand, their potion sheet, and their mini cauldron. With all that, additional goodie bags were not really necessary but I figured the pinata had to produce something! So, I made up small bags of trinkets purchased from Dollar stores like Harry potter stickers, a feather, Harry Potter trading cards, a glitter pencil, and candies. When the child found their name in the pinata confetti, they took it to Gringott's where an adult helper was waiting to give them their goodie bag.

By now, the party was drawing to an end and the parents were soon arriving to pick up their children. I think everyone had a great time and now had lots of stories to tell about their day at Hogwarts.

I hope you have been inspired by our party and are able to use some ideas for your party. The key is in the planning. Start as early as possible and make lots of lists. Your party can be as complex or as simple as you like. Children have great imaginations and can fill in the blanks where needed. :)

Remember to take lots of pictures at your party and above all, have fun!

Hogwarts Birthday Party: Part 3

The Decorations

Since the Hogwarts school is basically a castle and the world of Harry Potter is somewhat rustic and medieval, our decorations have to reflect that. If you start looking around your house, you'd be surprised at how many items can fit into that genre. Look for candles, pictures, books, statues, dishes or goblets, furniture, fabrics, jars, bottles or anything else that you might find in a castle. Ask friends or family if they have anything that you can borrow for your party. Visit the Salvation Army, Value Village, Dollar Store, flea market or even garage sales to find inexpensive props for your party. I was lucky that my daughter's birthday was close to Halloween so there were lots of cheap trinkets and party favours that I could buy at the Dollar Store that worked perfectly for our Harry Potter party.

Decor

I held our party mostly in the basement which I converted into the Great Hall and Snape's Potions class. Other parts of the house were used but not decorated as completely as the basement.

For the Great Hall, I covered the walls in a cheap "Scene Setter" wallpaper. You can purchase this locally around Halloween time or online any time of the year.

http://www.frightcatalog.com/Halloween-Decorations/Scene-Setters/Stone-Wall-Room-Setter-1022047/

A more expensive but much more realistic look is this flagstone gossamer
http://www.shindigz.com/catalog.cfm?pgp=P0409E

which you can see used in Britta's Hogwarts party http://www.britta.com/hogwarts/decor/index.html

I purchased two packs of the Scene Setter wallpaper and it still wasn't enough so make sure you measure your room accordingly. Foam tape can be bought at the Dollar Store and used to hold up the wallpaper. Just be warned - the stuff does not come off. Anyone who knows how to remove it from the walls please let me know. (Another reason to decorate your basement.)

I found a decent .jpg of the Hogwarts seal, resized it, and had it printed on a plotter for a massive wall hanging. That really gave a lot of "authenticity" to the decor.

On either side of the Hogwarts wall I purchased some cheap black wall sconces at the Dollar Store along with lots of white candlesticks. In hindsight, the candlesticks being right next to the plastic wallpaper were a bit of a fire hazard. For a later party, I used battery operated candles which you can find at dollar stores around Christmas time. Just pull off the base and they can be put into any standard candlestick holder. Candles are a great accessory for your Hogwarts party so find as many as you can and put them in every room. Even unlit they are great props.

For the Great Hall table, I used two desk tables placed end to end to create one great long table. Covered with a red tablecloth (from the dollar store), it was very striking. I had a black wrought iron chandelier that was perfect hanging in the middle of the room over the table. For the table benches, I actually found some large dog treat buckets which I cleaned up and spray painted black. These served as the "legs" of my bench with a long 12' wood plank bolted to the top. The benches are a bit short for adults but were perfect for little Hogwarts students!

I could have purchased gold or silver plates for the table but I thought my daughter would rather have some Harry Potter plates, cups and napkins. I purchased some clear plastic goblets that lit up on the bottom from the Dollar Store. That was a great find, but at a dollar a piece I decided to give them away to each child as part of their "loot bag".

Since it was near Halloween, the Dollar Store had some great mini-cauldrens which I picked up for about 6/$1. I used a gold pen to write each child's name on them & then filled them with jelly bellies (Bertie Bott's). The kids got to take those home too.

I am fortunate to have large windows in my basement which let in a lot of light. To really create a castle feel to the room, one window was covered with a tissue paper "stained glass". To create this, first measure your window. Since mine is large, I taped 4 black poster boards together to create one giant one. Trim the edges so that it covers your window perfectly. Next, measure and draw your lead lines about 3/4" thick using a large ruler. Then, with an exacto knife, cut in between the lead lines where your stained glass will go. For the stained glass, I used red, blue, yellow and purple sheets of tissue paper from the Dollar store. Cut each one to fit its "pane" and paste it in place. The end result is quite striking and when the sun shines in, it really looks like stained glass!

The two chairs in the room were covered with gold tablecloths (from my mom) which gave them a more regal feel. I used a bar stool from my kitchen for the kids to sit on and be sorted. For the sorting hat, I purchased a witch's hat from the Dollar Store and covered it in brown felt, creating a face while I sewed. For the sorting list, we already had a roll of drawing paper from Ikea that was the perfect color and curled nicely into a scroll shape. All the names of the children were added to the list, printed in gold ink.

Various books and candles adorned the shelves in the room and the kids computer table was used as a sidetable for refreshments, etc. I covered it in a great old quilt (borrowed from family) which hid the computer underneath. In the months leading up to the party I downloaded Harry Potter music and put it on that computer to play in the background during the party. The effect was magical!


Snape's Potion Class

Snape's class was rather easy to recreate. My floors are hardwood and I have an electric fireplace on one wall which was turned on during the party to give safe, no-heat ambiance. On the mantle, I stacked wonderful old books, candles and topped it off with an animal's skull I borrowed from family. A side table was equally adorned with books and a great plumed pen (from my wedding, no less). Two low tables were set up for the kids with dozens of interestingly shaped and colored bottles, bowls, and goblets which held the potion ingredients for Snape's class.

The walls were adorned with any appropriate picture I could find. We used the snowy owl & Harry Potter poster from my daughter's room, some old dragon & unicorn posters from my childhood (I knew I was keeping those for a reason!) and the horse pictures that were already there simply stayed. All furniture was removed (save the potions tables) so that there would be room for the kids to sit on the floor and learn ;-)

Snape was played by a friend of mine who managed to find an appropriate costume since it was near Halloween. In fact, all my adult guest helpers dressed up as witches and were heads of a Hogwarts house with the exception of my mom who played Madam Malkin.

The main part of my home was used as Diagon Alley. The kitchen table was covered with a green table cloth with great green candles. On one side, was Madam Malkin's Robes for Every Occasion. For the robes, I purchased oversized black t-shirts at a cheap store and the flea market. This was the most expensive purchase - each shirt averaged $2-$3. The front of the shirt was split from the bottom up to the collar (leaving the collar intact). The kids could pull the shirt over their heads to make a long black school robe. I found each Hogwarts house crest online and printed them on sticky paper. They would be given to the kids later.

On the other side of my kitchen table was Olivander's. For the wands, I used the tent poles from an old play tent and cut them into about 12" lengths and painted each one in wood colors. We purchased some craft pieces from the dollar store and decorated each wand with leather strips, tiny roses or feathers. They really came out nice and the kids got to take one home as a souvenir.

Over at Gringott's in the living room, a table was set up and covered with a tablecloth. My daughter just happened to have a small trunk in her room that was painted and decorated like a treasure chest. Inside that were gold pieces that I got from the Party Store. I also kept the loot bags in there for later.

Every shop in Diagon Alley had its own sign. I used the same Harry Potter fonts and parchment paper as the invitations and found some great background frame images on the internet. I even put a sign up over a doorway that read "Platform 9 3/4". That doorway was covered with a cheap vinyl tablecloth from the Dollar Store that was split up the middle so you could walk through it. I had a tough time getting it to stop blowing around and look like a wall so I eventually taped some coins to the bottom to give it weight.

The stairs leading down to the basement (and Hogwarts) were lined with 11th-19th century paintings. I already had lots of medieval artwork in my home that I used for the party. The rest of the art I had to create so I collected as many wooden or gold frames as I could find. Then pictures were downloaded from various museum sites on the internet (such as http://www.wga.hu/), printed in color and put in the frames. The end result was quite like the art-filled staircases at Hogwarts. I liked the look so much that I kept some of the pictures in place after the party.

Next post: Part 4 - Activities.

Hogwarts Birthday Party - Part 2

Party Invitations

For my daughter's Hogwarts party, I did not want to purchase the usual pre-packaged birthday invitations. If you're going to do a theme party, you have to do it right :) That means I got to be creative with my invitations.

After reading many party sites, I patched together several ideas to create an invitation that looked like the Hogwarts letter Harry received on his 11th birthday. To start with, you need to find the perfect parchment paper to print your invitations on. I found mine at Walmart. It was a thicker stock, beige, with flecks. Looked just like parchment paper :)

Since we were inviting about 15 kids to this party, hand-writing each letter was out of the question. I found several great Harry Potter fonts on MuggleNet and used them in my design. Each letter was printed in green ink and an image of the Hogwarts crest was adapted for the letterhead.

The invitation read as follows:

Dear [friend],

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for Eva’s 7th Birthday Party.

The Hogwart’s Express leaves Newcastle Station (located at [address]) at Eleven O'clock AM sharp on October 6th, 2007 and the journey will last 3 hours. Please RSVP by Owl or by the Muggle telephony system at [phone] by Saturday, September 29th.

We look forward to your arrival at Hogwarts.

Respectfully,

[name],
Deputy Headmistress of Frolic
and Feasts, Hogwarts Academy


Of course that can be modified for your own personal needs but you get the general idea.

Matching envelopes were purchased from the dollar store to save money. I used the same Hogwarts logo as I did on the letterhead for the top left corner of the envelope and each child's name & address was printed in green ink, Harry Potter style, on the front of the envelope. I wanted to seal each envelope with a red Hogwarts wax seal. To make the stamp, I carved a small potato with the letter "H" for Hogwarts. For the sealing wax, I just used melted candle wax, which in hindsight was not the right kind of wax because they didn't really stick to the envelopes and I had to glue them on by hand. In the end, the effect was quite nice and all the kids loved them and really thought they were authentic.

Invites were sent about 4 weeks in advance to give people lots of time to respond and a better chance that they wouldn't already have plans. As rsvp's started rolling in, I took down the proper spelling of each child's name as I would need it later for the party.

Next post: Part 3 - Decorations.

Hogwarts Birthday Party - Part 1

When I decided to host a Hogwarts party for my daughter's 7th birthday, I knew it would be a lot of fun, a lot of creativity, and a lot of work. The first step to planning any big theme party is research. Luckily, I have read all 7 Harry Potter books so I at least had a head start on what Hogwarts and Harry Potter is all about. So I set forth, in any free time I had, researching Harry Potter party ideas.

If you Google "Harry Potter party" you will get about 37,500,000 results :). Some of them are useful, most of them want to sell you party supplies. Take some time to read through the better ones and take notes of any cool ideas you come across, even if you think them not feasible - you may be able to modify them for your own purpose. Make lists of ideas for food, decorations and entertainment. I used Notepad to jot down ideas as I came across them or thought of them (the mind wanders during the day ;-).

One of the best sites I came across was Britta's Hogwarts Celebration. Britta is a wonderfully creative person who likes to think outside the prepackaged box when planning and hosting parties. Take some time to look around the rest of her site if you get the chance.

Birthday Party Ideas was invaluable for ideas on kids' parties. It took a lot of time to read through all those entries but they gave me great ideas on kid-friendly foods and games. If you are throwing a party for a young child, you will need games or other structure. I actually created a detailed schedule for the day of the party that broke the party down into times for each activity. It really helped to keep things on track the day of the party. If you only have a few hours and lots to do, you certainly don't want to miss out on anything by running out of time.

MuggleNet is a great resource for all things Harry Potter related. Lots to read there including some great recipes for your party.

Once you have spent endless nights researching your party and created a list of decorations, food, party favours, costume and game ideas, the fun part can begin!