Harry Potter Invitation Idea
by Nicole B.
(Soddy Daisy, TN)
To make these Harry Potter invitations, I used brown paper and designed them with the Hogwarts seal and the seal of the four houses (I found them and downloaded them from the Internet). At the top of the invitation, I created a letterhead with the Hogwarts seal and in large letters across the top "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry". Along the bottom of the invitations I put the four seals of each house: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Ravenclaw.
The wording of the invitation read:
"Dear (child's name), We are pleased to inform you that you've been invited to Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for special mid-term classes in honor of Head Boy Jeremy's 9th birthday. Your class schedule will include orientation and matriculation, transfiguration, potions and herbology, care of magical creatures, divination, and defense against the dark arts. There will also be a special birthday feast featuring treats from Three Broomsticks and Honeyduke's Sweet Shop in Hogsmeade. Classes will begin at the stroke of 12:30 in the afternoon on Sunday, February 15. Shopping at Zonko's Joke Shop will conclude classes at 3:00pm."
"Please take the Hogwarts Express train to Hogwarts Academy currently disguised as the Muggle home at (our address). There you will find the magical door visible only to Hogwarts students friends and families. The password is "flibbertigibblet". The surrounding area is well-protected by Memory Charms, so it will be safe to practice magic indoors and outdoors weather permitting. Please respond by OWL to (my e-mail) or Muggle telephone system (our phone number) with a yes or no response. We look forward to your arrival at Hogwarts. Sincerely, (my name) Deputy Headmistress of Frolic and Feasts, Hogwarts Academy."
Strange Jelly Bean Harry Potter Ice Breaker Activity
by Denise R.
(Baton Rouge, LA)
As the kids arrived, they were welcomed into the party area where I had a table set up with strange-flavored jelly beans. Jelly Belly has jelly beans called "Bertie Bots Every Flavor Beans", these are real jelly bellies with really strange flavors such as pepper, grass, sausage, etc. I would pass one flavor around in a bowl and give the kids an opportunity to try each flavor. Some flavors were kinda nasty :-), but it suited the whole Harry Potter theme. The kids loved checking out the different and unusual flavors. This was a great ice breaker activity as we all waited for everyone to arrive.
