Harry Potter Parties

Who could resist the lure of a magical Harry Potter themed party? For adults and children alike this is one theme that'll have everyone RSVP-ing with a resounding 'yes!' before you can even say Quidditch!

Planning

There's no shortage of Harry Potter-wares in stores; from tableware, to fancy dress and those all important accessories like broomsticks, owls and wands - but you don't have to go the high street route to create your very own Hogwarts!

If space permits, you could divide your party room or hall into the four Hogwarts houses and decorate accordingly - each house has it's own colours, so you can incorporate those into your decorations:

• Gryffindor is symbolised by the lion, and its colours are red and gold.
• Hufflepuff is symbolised by the badger, and its colours are yellow and black.
• Ravenclaw is symbolised by the eagle, and its colours are blue and bronze.
• Slytherin is symbolised by the serpent, and its colours are green and silver.

You could allocate guests to houses upon their arrival and have them compete for their house in the party games – just don't forget to provide a house cup (or cups!) for the winners!

If space it tight, you could always just decorate the chairs around the party table in the various house colours, and give the guests badges to show which house they have been put into.

Upon Arrival....

Get your guests in the mood from the minute they walk up the garden path or arrive at your venue by displaying a huge Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry sign.

Serve welcome drinks straight from the pages of the books with glasses of pumpkin juice! (orange juice may have to suffice!)

Decorations

Go for a medieval or Gothic castle type theme for a real Hogwarts vibe! Try and source ornate candlesticks, candles (or tea lights for safety if they are to be lit) dark wood chairs, and sumptuous velvet cushions. Line the walls of your party room with sinister looking portraits (get the children to paint them then put in cheap or redundant frames). For a more fun Harry Potter theme, decorate with book covers, typed up spells and mottos, and pictures of Harry, Ron, Hermione et al.

Fancy Dress

Encourage guests to think about all the characters in the Harry Potter books to avoid being inundated with thirty boy wizards on the day (you could even make it a rule that no one dresses as Harry himself and instead have a life size cut out of him at the party!) Why not include some character suggestions in with your invites?

Entertainment

A magic show is the obvious choice for a Potter themed affair, but remember that children are hard to impress! If the magician does not live up to their expectations there could be disappointment all round!

Set up a pretend Quidditch match with brooms, garden croquet hoops and a soft ball(and no flying!) and let each house play each other until only two teams remain for a grand final tournament! You may have to adapt the rules and tweak the game to suit your setting!

Food

Serve your food school dinner style, with a long table, candelabras (unlit for safety sake) proper crockery and big serving plates and jugs. For younger children, disposable party ware with a Harry Potter theme might prove a less messy option!