Monday, January 29, 2007
Harry Potter Party
Long time readers will know that one of my favourite things in life is hosting birthday parties. Actually, I love putting on a good party of any description, but birthdays offer a convenient excuse. Age doesn't really matter. I've enjoyed organizing 40th birthdays as much as 10th ones. But adults don't celebrate birthdays consistently, so I get most of my practice on kids.
This month, my #2 son had his 10th. He requested a Harry Potter theme. I had done this theme before many years ago for my #1 son's 7th. From the outset I knew it was going to be much more of a challenge to come up with a party to satisfy 10 year olds.
Fortunately, I had lots of help. Our family has been doing theme parties for so long that we all get in on the act of planning it. My sons, I'm proud to say, have become first-rate party planners in their own right. With a little brainstorming, we soon had a detailed party plan sketched out, complete with venue diagrams and supplies lists.
First, of course, were the invitations. To set the tone of a fantasy party properly, you must have an original and engaging invitation. For this party, it was fairly simple. With some parchment-coloured paper and red candle wax, we made convincing-looking Hogwarts acceptance letters. To give the letters an extra dash of authenticity (and to manage expectations), the "students" were not actually accepted to Hogwarts but rather invited to participate in a Hogwarts "Regional Pre-screening Assessment".
As usual for our winter parties, we rented a church hall. We still do our summer birthday in our backyard, but for fall and winter parties we prefer to keep the mess and chaos somewhere else.
At the event, the students were received by Mrs. Mentok, who played the role of the proprietor of a sort of low-rent Hogsmeade Tavern. Early birds got to nosh out on pop, chips and authentic Jelly Bellies (accept no substitutes) while waiting for the official kickoff.
I made my entrance under the guise of Professor Dubious Sinestro, an ornery, disheveled Irish subaltern of Slitherin house.
"All right, look here ya wee muggles. Professor Sinestro has had a bit of a rough night. I'm sure there's things you'd rather be doing than goin' to school on a Saturday, and there's a lot of things I'd rather be doing than minding a bunch of muggle children. So let's just cut each other some slack and get through this as best we can."
The kids ate it up. The crankier and more verbally abusive I got, the harder they laughed.
"I know what you're thinkin'. You're going to say I look like Mentok, the birthday boy's da. Well, I get that all the time and frankly I'm sick of it, so let's just not bring it up again, shall we."
Then it was time to head into the assessment process.
"I cannot stress to you the importance of doing well at this pre-screening assessment. Your performance here today will determine your suitability to go on to the screening assessment and, eventually, your assessment."
Only a couple of kids got that gag.
First, we got the kids rigged up with Hogwarts robes (men's X-Large black underwear T-shirts, 3 for $5) and wands (battery operated light sticks, $3 each, the most expensive take-away of the event, but too perfect to pass up.)
Then it was on to the Sorting Hat. We had rigged up a costume witch's hat with a walkie-talkie. My #1 son, hidden nearby with the other radio, went above and beyond in doing the voice and character of the Hat.
Next, charms class: a simple spell, Expecto Patronum, which wards off Dementors, rumoured to be prowling the grounds. In the midst of practice, #1 son made his entrance as a Dementor so the students got some practical experience.
...but that was also the one sour note of the party. Although most of the kids had a blast expelling the evil creature, the Dementor costume was a little too scary for one kid, who totally wigged out, cried and hid under a table. Fortunately, Mrs. Mentok was nearby to swoop in with her motherly charms and set things right in a jiff.
There's nothing like chocolate to smooth over the rough patches. The next event was Magical Creatures, where we used gummi frogs and a chocolate fondue pot to create chocolate frogs.
Next, potions class. I tried in vain to teach the students the correct way to mix the ingredients for Firebrand formula. I strenuously warned the students that, unless mixed properly, the component ingredients will explode. Of course, since the component ingredients were vinegar and baking soda, they were certain to "explode" in any case.
Since that lesson was a (planned) failure, I "decided" to teach them something simpler, Dragon's Blood Tonic. This time, the students easily mastered the task of mixing sugar, Kool-Aid, soda water and food colour to create a health tonic that was both tasty and guarantee to restore vigour and vitality.
At this point, I decided the students had had enough book-learning and that it was time for a little phys-ed. We played two games: The Golden Egg (a far-too elaborate game of keep away, but the kids seemed to like it) and Junior Quidditch (indoor soccer played while riding pool-noodle "broomsticks").
An hour and half had flown by this point, so to everyone's disappointment we had to wrap up the fantasy and head back to the dining room for cake and presents for the last half hour of the party.
With all my parties, I don't give goodie bags. Instead, the take-aways are built into the party. In this case, the kids got to keep their robes, wands, potions-class test tubes, Dragon's Blood goblets and left-over chocolate frogs...plus all the gummi frogs and Jelly Bellies they could carry. As always, both the kids and the parents were astounded at the take-aways, but of course they were all just a bunch of superficially impressive dollar-store finds.
In this description of the party, I've left out the week's worth of shopping, the hours of preparation, the two hours of room set-up and two hours of clean-up. A lot of people think I'm crazy for staging these elaborate parties.
But take a look at the faces of the party guests. You can't buy that. Only paternal dedication and creativity will do. Accept no substitutes.
posted by Mentok @ 10:10 p.m.,
17 Comments:
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At 5:10 p.m.,
Bathroom Hippo said...
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Heh...
might want to rethink the Harry Potter role-model thing... -
At 11:28 p.m.,
Elizabeth said...
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How lovely. I want a Harry Potter themed party, now. A real one, please. Not the one where he's naked with a horse.
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At 12:31 a.m.,
jamwall said...
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NUDE HARRY POTTER PARTY!!!
i'll bring a washcloth to cover myself up.. -
At 9:39 a.m.,
Mentok said...
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All righty, well, since this discussion has taken this (somewhat disturbing) thread, we might as well run with it...
Dear readers, your challenge now is to complete this variation of an old gag:
"Hey, Hermione, I'll show you my magic wand if you show me your...."
I'll kick it off with my entry: Goblet of Fire. I don't think that's really funny so let's hear some funnier ones. -
At 11:45 a.m.,
Dino said...
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i loved the party idea. hey my 30th is coming up this year. can you plan a party for me?????
(I am not interesting in any nude HP parties - as for the actor I am sure he is just trying to show the world he can do more than harry potter. can't blame him for trying to show he can do something different) -
At 3:42 p.m.,
Bathroom Hippo said...
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"Hermione, I'll show you my wand if you show me your Prisoner of Azkaban. "
Totally didn't work...
Re: Dino:
Nudity isn't art, or talent. It's just disgusting. -
At 3:48 p.m.,
Mentok said...
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Dino - you don't have to ask me twice. I love to plan parties. If you'd seriously like help planning a 30th, email me in private and I'll see what I can come up with.
Hippo - "nudity isn't art or talent. It's just disgusting." Whoa, that was a little, how should one say, um, Islamic don't you think? ;-) -
At 3:52 p.m.,
Bathroom Hippo said...
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Truth in all religions my friend. -
At 3:58 p.m.,
Library Mama said...
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So, Hip, is a naked baby disgusting?
Do you wear your Speedo when you take a shower so as not to offend yourself? -
At 4:08 p.m.,
Library Mama said...
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Mentok - If you show me your magic wand, I might let you enter my chamber of secrets.
(But only if you're really good.) -
At 4:29 p.m.,
Grumps said...
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Those preps you did for your guys have me convinced: You're a house elf!
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At 4:59 p.m.,
Bathroom Hippo said...
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Is a naked baby disgusting?
No and yes. Nudity in the confines of shelter/privacy such as sex, bathing, cleaning is fine with me...but when that nudity is brought to the public it is just disgusting.
Mom's taking pictures of their naked babies is wrong in my opinion. -
At 3:31 p.m.,
FiL said...
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Oh gawd, here I am trying desperately to pull myself out of a quagmire of smut. Lo and behold, I come across Mentok's post on a Harry Potter kids' party. "Ah, I have found my way out!," I rejoiced.
Then I looked at the comments.
And deeper I sank.
"Hey, Hermione, I'll show you my magic wand if you show me your Hand of Glory..."
Damn you, Mentok, damn you to Hell... -
At 3:34 p.m.,
FiL said...
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See, you got me so worked up my verb tenses are all over the place.
Fie! Fie! A pox upon you, vile, crabbed Saskatchewanian!!! -
At 12:26 a.m.,
Mentok said...
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Fil - the Hand of Glory thing has possibilities, but with a different euphemism, I reckon. Try this:
"It sounds like, after your trip to Vegas, your Harry Potter saw a little too much of the Hand of Glory, if you know what I mean, wink wink."
;-) -
At 11:17 p.m.,
mkecurler said...
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the party looks pretty lively. Happy belated birthday! yahoo!
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At 12:11 a.m.,
Dino said...
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well i may have grumpy email you and you two can plan a party for me :) still plenty of time since I am a libra
