So, we're planning this really cool Hallowe'en party...

[Jughead P. Jones]

I know Hallowe'en isn't for a couple of months, but I have to book the night of October 28 off so I can help out with a Hallowe'en party that my older sisters are planning together for their kids and a few of their classmates. (and, by few, I mean the whole classroom)

Before I go on, I should state that my sisters and I are huge fans of the Harry Potter series, and we know far more about the book series than we really should.

So, we figure...why not create a Hallowe'en party where we turn my sister's house into Hogwarts, and where we adults dress like the characters in the book and where the kids are students?

That's exactly what we're doing.

All of us are excited about this project, and we're starting to plan it out right now so we'll be ready. My sibs have done a lot of preparation. Last Hallowe'en, they stocked up on old Harry Potter costumes, and they've actually ordered bits and pieces to help transform the house into Hogwarts.

All of us have been given parts to play as well. For instance, one of my sisters has really curly hair, so she's going to brush it out to play Professor Trelawney...and, my brother-in-law is playing the role of Mad-Eye Moody. Should be quite hilarious. We also got a couple of people to play Madame Sprout, Snape and Hagrid. As for me, my role will be largely behind the scenes. Apparently, I'm in talks to be the sorting hat, where I will be sorting my 6 year old nephew and his friends (consider them first year students at Hogwarts), and I'll also be playing a Hogwarts prefect that shows each group to a different class. As of right now, we still need a Dumbledore, a McGonagle, and Cornelius Fudge...but we'll see.

All the kids will be sorted out into the 4 houses (Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw), and at each station, they'll be awarded points, where the winning house gets the house cup, but we plan on having prizes for all the kids. And, we're also going to work out a special Hogwarts menu that includes things like pumpkin tarts, and making our own bundles of Bertie Botts Flavour Beans for the kids to munch on.

And, outdoors, we're even going to hang up old brooms, golden ornaments to look like the snitches and other things to make it look like a Quidditch tournament is actually going on.

If all goes to plan, this could be the best Hallowe'en party ever!

We've got a lot of ideas in store, but we're always looking for more. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[Gemini Cricket]

You should dress someone up as the Whomping Willow with branches and leaves on them. Put them outside and have them surprise jump guests as they arrive. :)

[Jughead P. Jones]

You should dress someone up as the Whomping Willow with branches and leaves on them. Put them outside and have them surprise jump guests as they arrive. :)

That is a really cool idea! Some of the little kids might get scared, but the older kids would love it!

[Gemini Cricket]

And of course you have to have the long tables with the food and the cool centerpieces. Ooh! And floating jack o lanterns!

[wendybeth]

It might be fun to have a sort of mini Diagon Alley, where you have booths or stations set up representing some of the stores- the kids could go through this prior to being sorted. (Give out play wands, candy, etc).

[katiesue]

Sounds great. We do a pumpking carving party every year. I just spread out plastic table cloths all over my kitchen floor and let the kids go at it, then they take the pumpkins home. Easy clean up I just gather up the tablecloths and trash em with all the pumpkiny guts in the middle.

I may need to swipe some of your ideas for this years event.

[Moonliner]

Time management.

Something like the whomping willow mentioned above can take a large amount of time to setup (plus it requires a full time person) for about 2 seconds of fun per kid. Make sure you have enough activities for them interested based on the length of the party. Costumes and decorations do not keep kids busy and a busy kid is a happy kid.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

I know Hallowe'en isn't for a couple of months, but I have to book the night of October 28 off so I can help out with a Hallowe'en party that my older sisters are planning together for their kids and a few of their classmates. (and, by few, I mean the whole classroom)

Before I go on, I should state that my sisters and I are huge fans of the Harry Potter series, and we know far more about the book series than we really should.

So, we figure...why not create a Hallowe'en party where we turn my sister's house into Hogwarts, and where we adults dress like the characters in the book and where the kids are students?

That's exactly what we're doing.


I couldn't go to this party. I'd spend the entire evening trying to get into Snape's crotchety pants.

[Strangler Lewis]

Time management.

Something like the whomping willow mentioned above can take a large amount of time to setup (plus it requires a full time person) for about 2 seconds of fun per kid. Make sure you have enough activities for them interested based on the length of the party. Costumes and decorations do not keep kids busy and a busy kid is a happy kid.

Potions, quidditch. Kids who misbehave can be sent to Azkaban or under the stairs.

[wendybeth]

I like the way you think, Strangler.

I may borrow the Azkaban idea, for everyday use. I'm fresh out of Dementors, but I could throw in some of Eric's socks.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

I'm fresh out of Dementors, but I could throw in some of Eric's socks.

If they're anything like the socks around our house, I'm sure those could suck the life out of just about anybody!

That's a marvelous party idea, Jughead! Sounds like so much fun. Have you guys found the recipes for pumpkin juice/butterbeer online?

The US Potter conventions (I was part of the administrative staff for one once, before I quit. Don't ask.) have an official ground quidditch game and I'd bet they'd be willing to share the rules with you.

We've been to many a Potter book release at bookstores... and we've seen some fun activities. Build your own wand, with string/pipe cleaners/etc. Potions classes... kids could make slime, or do those simple chemistry tricks (color-changing, dry ice, etc.)

I'm sorry I'm not nearer, as to portray the Fat Lady! ;)

And about the whomping willow stuff.. two seconds of glee per kid ain't bad, as long as you have somebody willing to do it. We did a live scarecrow once, and the bursts of terror/laughter made all of the waiting in-between completely worth it.

[Morrigoon]

You should dress someone up as the Whomping Willow with branches and leaves on them. Put them outside and have them surprise jump guests as they arrive. :)

If you can find a car-shaped pinata, you could staple some leaves to the stick and blindfold and have the kids "be" the whomping willow trashing the Ford Anglia. (helps if you can find a blue car, but chances are you'll have to settle for red)

[Jughead P. Jones]

You guys are awesome! I'll definitely fill my sibs in on these ideas!

The whole Azkaban idea for bratty kids is so cool!

And, actually, we're going to drape a net over black balloons to make Dementors. I just remembered that idea.

[Jughead P. Jones]

It might be fun to have a sort of mini Diagon Alley, where you have booths or stations set up representing some of the stores- the kids could go through this prior to being sorted. (Give out play wands, candy, etc).

I REALLY like the Diagon Alley idea. Since it's my sister's house that will be hosting this event, maybe we could do Diagon Alley in her garage or something. That would be interesting.:snap:

[Jughead P. Jones]

Sounds great. We do a pumpking carving party every year. I just spread out plastic table cloths all over my kitchen floor and let the kids go at it, then they take the pumpkins home. Easy clean up I just gather up the tablecloths and trash em with all the pumpkiny guts in the middle.

I may need to swipe some of your ideas for this years event.

Hallowe'en has always been a holiday that my family has celebrated with full force. About 15 years ago, when I was a small fry, we had a tree in our front yard that was, well...dead. And, we were getting new siding to replace the cracked and warped siding that we previously had when we moved in. So, that year, we decided to have fun with it. We made our house look like a haunted house, and threw a fake corpse in the dead tree along with bats and ghosts. And, we also painted murals on our glass doors to add to the spookiness. The Hogwarts party we're planning this year is going to be really fun to plan out.

I'm glad you like our ideas! Feel free to borrow as many as you like! :cool:

[Jughead P. Jones]

Time management.

Something like the whomping willow mentioned above can take a large amount of time to setup (plus it requires a full time person) for about 2 seconds of fun per kid. Make sure you have enough activities for them interested based on the length of the party. Costumes and decorations do not keep kids busy and a busy kid is a happy kid.

Exactly! I think how we're doing it is that each section of the house will be a classroom (i.e. Divination, Potions, Transfiguration, etc), and each class will have an activity. It'll be like a rotation thing going on, similar to class activities within school.

[Jughead P. Jones]

I couldn't go to this party. I'd spend the entire evening trying to get into Snape's crotchety pants.

Yeah...not exactly the most kid-friendly activity. :D ;)

[Jughead P. Jones]

If they're anything like the socks around our house, I'm sure those could suck the life out of just about anybody!

That's a marvelous party idea, Jughead! Sounds like so much fun. Have you guys found the recipes for pumpkin juice/butterbeer online?

The US Potter conventions (I was part of the administrative staff for one once, before I quit. Don't ask.) have an official ground quidditch game and I'd bet they'd be willing to share the rules with you.

We've been to many a Potter book release at bookstores... and we've seen some fun activities. Build your own wand, with string/pipe cleaners/etc. Potions classes... kids could make slime, or do those simple chemistry tricks (color-changing, dry ice, etc.)

I'm sorry I'm not nearer, as to portray the Fat Lady! ;)

And about the whomping willow stuff.. two seconds of glee per kid ain't bad, as long as you have somebody willing to do it. We did a live scarecrow once, and the bursts of terror/laughter made all of the waiting in-between completely worth it.

Those are all great ideas! I think I'll do some searching for some recipes! Thanks, LSPE!

[Jughead P. Jones]

If you can find a car-shaped pinata, you could staple some leaves to the stick and blindfold and have the kids "be" the whomping willow trashing the Ford Anglia. (helps if you can find a blue car, but chances are you'll have to settle for red)

That is another great idea! We actually sell car pinatas at the store I work at, but I think they're all yellow and red...

...but, we could always repaint it with non-toxic paint.

[tracilicious]

That sounds like so much fun!

(And I'm happy that we have another Potter geek here. Soon we'll outnumber the Monty Python people! :p)

[wendybeth]

That sounds like so much fun!

(And I'm happy that we have another Potter geek here. Soon we'll outnumber the Monty Python people! :p)

Some of us are ambidextrious.:D

[Jughead P. Jones]

That sounds like so much fun!

(And I'm happy that we have another Potter geek here. Soon we'll outnumber the Monty Python people! :p)

LOL! Actually, my sisters got hooked long before I did. I didn't really start reading them until 5 years ago, and I was immediately hooked. I'm a bit behind though...I'm just halfway through the 6th book. I hope to be caught up by the time the final volume is released.

[Snowflake]

If you can find a car-shaped pinata, you could staple some leaves to the stick and blindfold and have the kids "be" the whomping willow trashing the Ford Anglia. (helps if you can find a blue car, but chances are you'll have to settle for red)

What a GREAT idea!

JPJ, this whole idea is just faboo. Can I come? If Heidi can't make it, I can sub for the Fat Lady and I would love it! PASSSSS-WORD?????

Sounds like a lot of work, but a totally great party:snap:

[Jughead P. Jones]

What a GREAT idea!

JPJ, this whole idea is just faboo. Can I come? If Heidi can't make it, I can sub for the Fat Lady and I would love it! PASSSSS-WORD?????

Sounds like a lot of work, but a totally great party:snap:

Well...this party will be held in Canada...it's a bit far...

...though, we are still looking to cast some parts...