Field Quidditch

This is the version played at "New Hogsmeade" (New Hamburg, Ontario) at the Book 7 Harry Potter Festival, hosted by Uppercase Books

Supplies:
6 hoops, 3 on each end of the pitch
2 soft Nerf-style soccer balls (Bludgers)
1 football (Quaffle)
4 golf balls, different colours (Snitches)

The Chasers try to get the football through the hoops. Once hit with a Bludger, the Chaser must stop and throw the ball. Once a goal is scored or blocked and out of play, the Quaffle is given to the defending team.

Meanwhile, two Snitches wait on the sidelines. Without warning one of them runs-like-crazy across the pitch. If the Seeker tags the Snitch before he reaches the other side, the Snitch reveals one of the coloured golf balls. If the ball matches the team colour, they get 150 points, and game play ends. If not, the play continues as before.

Pool Quidditch

For each end you will need one hoop (hula hoops work well) or a water polo net. You will also need a quaffle (small beach ball with some water as well as air inside so that it sits low in the water), two bludgers (soaker balls--the kind made with a sponge core), and a golden snitch (golf ball or ping pong ball), and one broom (pool "noodle") for each player.

Each team consists of a seeker, a keeper, 1-3 chasers and 1 or 2 beaters.

The beaters throw the bludgers at their opponents, or may use half-length pool noodles as bats if you choose.
About halfway through the game, the referee releases the snitch. Points are awarded as follows: 10 points per quaffle goal and 100 points (or 150, if you prefer) for the golden snitch, the capture of which also signals the end of the game.

Transformation Dilemma Game

Yikes! A powerful spell that ricocheted around the room has caused the entire class to be randomly transformed into different characters and creatures from the wizarding world!

To play:
The players are asked to turn their backs while the name of a character or creature (or a picture if there are players who are non-readers) is pinned or taped to their back. The players must determine who or what they are by asking each other yes/no questions about their identity. This is similar to "headbandz".

Leprechaun Gold

Leprechaun gold is famous for disappearing.
Scatter some buttons or similar on the floor, Add a few real coins, chocolate coins, (or wizarding coins--see crafts) to the assortment. One at a time, each child is blindfolded and is given a set time to try and gather as much money as possible, which they get to keep. You will need to replenish the stock every couple of children or so.

Moaning Myrtle Game

This is like a cross between Blind Man's Bluff and Marco Polo. One child is blindfolded and the others form a tight circle around him or her. Those around the circle can make lots of different noises, but only one will moan like Myrtle. The blindfolded person must try and find the moaning person within a given time frame (one minute or so worked well for us).

Variation 1: The people in the circle all moan, and Myrtle has to find one specific person out of all the others.

Variation 2: Only one person makes any noise (Myrtle's Moaning) but they can move around the circle. The blindfolded person must track and catch "Myrtle".

Dementor Frozen Tag

One (or more for a large group) are "it" and are the Dementors. Using the spells "stupefy", kids are frozen in place. Those who are free and not it can release them with the spell "enervate".

You may wish to add "expecto patronus" as an available spell if there is more than one Dementor. If someone is about to be caught by a Dementor, someone who is not it or caught can repel a single spell from a Dementor with "expecto patronus" but only to protect someone else. The Dementor must then chase a different person.

Harry Potter Madlibs

Create your own Harry Potter madlib by choosing one of the more famous passages from one of the books. Choose various words to replace and copy it out with blank spaces where those words once were, leaving space between lines. Beneath each blank, indicate what part of speech the word should be (i.e. past-tense verb, plural noun, adjective, etc.). If desired, make a separate list of these in which to fill the blanks so that the list becomes even more random.
Fill in the blanks, then read the passage back with the new substitute words.
For examples of other madlibs I have created, see the Lemonade printables page.

This is what I like about you:

A major theme in the Hary Potter books is that love (including friendship) is the most powerful magic. In a classroom, youth group or birthday party, have each child write down something that they like about each of the others. Be sure to monitor these so that the comments remain truly positive, then present each child with the comments the others have made about them. Roll the notes together and fasten with a ribbon, or make a small booklet from them. These make wonderful keepsakes.