Harry Potter Party for Kids

By Daily Parent

Halloween at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is marked each year with an unparalleled celebratory feast—and if you’re lucky, a battle with an escaped mountain troll or an invitation to Nearly Headless Nick’s Deathday party.

But alas! We are living in a troll-less muggle world. Nevertheless, we can still bring the magic of Hogwarts to our children’s parties.

Here are some of some of our favorite Potter-ific tips plus two recipes from The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook:

• Bring Hogwarts Home: From Honeydukes to Hagrids hut, transform each room in your home into a popular Hogwarts (or Hogsmeade) location with a few fun touches. For example, turn your dining room into the Great Hall by hanging battery-powered candles from the ceiling with fishing wire.
• Wear Wizardly Wardrobes: In your invitations, ask young guests to dress as their favorite Hogwarts student. To make sure your little witches and wizards behave, take on the role of professor and don an adult character’s costume of your own—nothing will get their attention quicker than a steely glace from Professor Dumbledore or Mcgonagall.
• Divide the Houses: As soon as guests arrive, place a witch’s hat on their heads and sort them one by one into either the Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Gryffindor houses. Slytherin can be left out of the mix…who can have fun with Malfoy, Crabbe or Goyle around?
• Have a Potion Party: Play Snape in potion class and teach your kids kooky experiments with household products. Have them combine cornstarch, water and food coloring to make a goopy slime perfect for trapping pesky spiders. Afterwards, show them how to create the dreaded babbling beverage using food coloring, baking soda and vinegar.

—By Emily Arno