Think Tank Thursday – Harry Potter Party Planning 1

Hey all, 

I know it’s been a while since I last blogged, a month in fact.  I think I was just drained after the 31-Day Organizational Challenge in January and I didn’t know where I wanted to go with the blog afterward.  So I spent February scrapping or as I sometimes call it, “in recovery.”  Being able to scrap always puts things back into alignment for me.  As was the case here, earlier this week I sat down and decided what I wanted to blog about this month with daily themes in mind.  Today is Think Tank Thursday.  It corresponds with the Daily Tasks in the Get It Together, Already Planner/Organizer.  (You can get yours here.)  Thursday is what Flylady would call “Desk Day.”  A day where you spend time dealing with weekly paper work and planning for the week ahead.  And here at Get It Together, Already it is Think Tank Thursday – Harry Potter Party Planning 1.  Yes, there will be a 2.

Because I only have one child I am able plan and host rather elaborate birthday parties that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to pull off.  As least I think they're elaborate and those who have been to them seem to think so, and they are definitely different than most of the parties my daughter goes to.  Here is a list of the previous birthday parties:

1.     Age 1 – Simple parties, no theme, but yes, there were 2.  One at home and one where the grandparents lived a week later.

2.     Age 2 – JoJo’s Circus Carnival – We ate 3 times.  Appetizer, Lunch and Dessert.  In between we played carnival games, dancing games, opened gifts and had open play time.

3.     Age 3 – Dora the Explorer – Complete with crafts, games, a Dora Adventure, with Backpacks and Rescue Packs that I made, cake, ice cream and gifts.

4.     Age 4 – Backyard Birthday Bash – Lots of games, free play, water sprinklers and silly string.  Oh, and crying.  During one game I actually had almost all the kids crying.  Preschoolers do not like to have other people stomp on and bust the balloon tied to their ankle. LOL. Live and learn.  The Balloon Stomp Game is NOT fun for pre-schoolers.

5.     Age 5 – Gymnastics Party – Easy

6.     Age 6 – Ariel Party – At an indoor pool.  Again easy.

7.     Age 7 – Exclusive Rock Diva Party -  I discovered that if I control what the kids wear the pages I scrapbook look a lot less busy.  So I made each of the girls tutus and t-shirts.

8.     Age 8 – Chocolate Spa Party – Chocolate facials, manicures, pedicures.  Chocolate fountain and candy bar.  And girls received custom flip-flops and spa wraps.  That I made!

Yes I am a little bit elaborate.

So, anyway, I thought I would share as we plan, prep and party this year. 

Harry Potter has been a huge part of my life ever since I read the first book way back in 1999.  After reading that first book I knew I wanted my children to also read and love Harry and the others just as much as I do.  And, even though I so wanted to read the books to Kailey, I didn’t because I felt like that would be taking away the magic of getting to read it for herself.  Of getting to know and growing to love the characters for herself.  So I waited.  And waited.  And waited some more.  And finally she decided that she wanted to read the Harry Potter books.  She has been capable of reading the books for awhile now but she didn’t decide to read them until this past fall.  Finally!  Ok, so I may have put a little pressure on.  I did say we couldn’t go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter until she had read through book 3.  But, she still decided for herself, when all her friends were either reading the books or had had them read to them.  Again, finally!  Then after she read the first book she said, “Mom, I want a Harry Potter Birthday Party for my next birthday.”  Can I just say, I heard magical music playing.  This may be the party I’ve been building up to for the past 8 years. 

Party planners!  Start your engines! 

Theme: 

Harry Potter

Date:     

May ?? – depends on when I can rent a venue.

Location: Depends on if I can afford to rent a venue. 

Pythian Castle -

 Isn’t it fabulous?  Oh I wish.  But no, first of all it's already rented for the day I really want and it’s too expensive.  Plus when we drove by the other day, the sky was dark and grey with storm clouds, Kailey said, “I’m not going in there!” LOL

Springfield Boathouse –

I like this being on the lake and all.  It’s really more than I would like to spend but I can really see the party happening here.  I gotta check on the availability.

  

Other locations -

I have absolutely no idea.

  

Home –

Ugg.  I’m not really sure how to make this work.  Hmmm?

Guest List: 

Kailey wants to play Quidditch so we need at least 12 kids 14 would be better.

Color Scheme:

Usually this comes to me right away but for some reason not this year.  All I see in my mind’s eye is brown and black.  Kids birthday parties should not be brown and black.  I could go with Gryffindor House colors.  We may use Harry Potter paper ware.  I may need to pull colors from there.   Wait.  Let me go check the books. 

Ok from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Chapter 7 – The Sorting Hat, when describing the Start-of-Term Banquet it says, “Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place.  It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables.  These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets.”  Gold!

Ok, so here’s the plan.  We want to do a Sorting Ceremony and we need a place to eat.  So let’s set this area up like the Great Hall.  Brown tablecloths, gold paper ware and the House banners hanging above the tables.  Depending on location we might also be able to have floating candles.  Wouldn’t that be fun!

Then we can set up the tables for Diagon Alley with a different color scheme for each shop.

Gringotts –

Flourish & Botts –

Madam Malkin’s Robes –

Ollivanders –

Quality Quidditch Supplies –

Eeylops Owl Emporium –

Potage’s Cauldron Shop –

Slug and Jiggers Apothecary –

Students won’t shop at all of these places but it would be nice to add them to the decorations of Diagon Alley.

The classrooms can be set up with different colors as well.

Defense against the Dark Arts –

Herbology –

Potions –

Divination –

Care of Magical Creatures –

Transfigurations –

Charms –

I’m not sure we will have all these classrooms it depends on if I find activities for all these classes.

We need a location for the shops in Hogsmeade as well.  These will be where the students can shop for goodie bag stuffers.

Zonko’s Joke Shop –

Honeydukes Sweetshop -

The Three Boomsticks –

We will also need brick wall curtains to enter Diagon Alley and Platform 9 ¾.  And an explanation for how we enter Platform 9 ¾ and end up at Hogwarts.  Hmmmm?

So after all that I guess we won’t really have an overall color scheme but instead color schemes for various locations.

Activities: 

I want to set it up like the guests are new students at Hogwarts.  They will receive their acceptance letter (invitation) and arrive at Diagon Alley (the door to the party location.)  Then they will progress through Gringotts to get their wizard money out of their vaults and on to the shops.  They will need to buy their wands at Ollivanders, their robes at Madam Malkin’s and their books at Florish and Botts.  I would like for the other shops to be there but they don’t need to buy anything at them.

After they visit Diagon Alley they will arrive at Platform 9 ¾.  From there they need to magically move to Hogwarts Great Hall for the Sorting Ceremony.  After being sorted they will make their way through each of the classes being offered and finally go outside to play Quidditch. 

After Quidditch they will go to Hogsmeade to shop for goodies. And then go home.  While they are waiting for their parents we could play Giants, Wizards and Elves.

Ok so when do we eat cake and open gifts?  The Sorting Ceremony?  Yeah, I think that would be the best time.  Ok so the question is what is the magical explanation for walking through Platform 9 ¾ and suddenly seeing the Great Hall at Hogwarts?  Hmmm???

Food:

Cake -  of course.  What should it look like?  It could look like the cake Hagrid delivered to Harry for is 11^th Birthday.  Box and all.  Seems a little lack luster to be eating that at the Sorting Ceremony though.

Ice Cream -

Butterbeer -

Pumpkin Juice -

Water –

Candy! –  

     Chocolate Frogs

     Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans

     Acid Pops

     Other Harry Potter Candy

Ok did I miss anything?