DAY ONE
Day one of Hogwarts Camp!
Our Hogwarts Common Room was decked out and the Great Hall was filled with floating candles.
The only thing we needed were awesome students to come through Platform 9 and 3/4 to spend the next three hours with us. We couldn’t wait! We had poured everything into this moment.
As a family, we talked about what an ultimate Hogwarts Camp would look like (one our kids would have loved when they were younger because we loved the magic of Harry Potter’s world). From these wishes, we created an incredibly fun experience today!
Hogwarts Camp is so exciting
Our first students arrived 15 minutes early! We love that kind of enthusiasm and “I-can’t-wait” excitement for Hogwarts Camp to begin!
Sorting, Wands, Robes, and House Points
Today was filled with sorting, wands, runes, trivia, and house points.
HOUSE POINTS FOR TODAY:
- Gryffindor: 50
- Ravenclaw: 50
- Hufflepuff: 40
- Slytherin: 60
Sorting into houses came first, of course. It was the moment everyone was waiting for!
Next up was getting fitted for Hogwarts robes and choosing a wand.
Ancient Runes
Before each person created their wand, we learned about ancient runes (the evolution of writing and communication). Each person got to practice writing their name and basic sentences in an ancient alphabet.
Taking what students learned in ancient runes, some of them used those characters to burn their name into their wand, write letter to symbolize a phoenix, and other creative design work.
Students spent a lot of time sanding and choosing just the right design elements they wanted to burn into their wands, then topping it off with a perfect mixture of stains to make each wand unique.
I love how each wand turned out! Aren’t these awesome!?!
During a Harry Potter trivia game students vied for house points (one of many ways to earn points toward winning the house cup on Friday).
Professor Mike read a few pages from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to an audience who wanted more when he finished.
The Best Magic
In the end we talked about how some of the best magic (and most powerful) is the goodness and kindness we show to each other. One of the reasons we love Harry Potter so much is not because he’s the smartest and the best wizard but because he values friendship, loyalty, showing bravery even when it’s scary, and being there for his friends when they need him.
Hogwarts Camp. Did you discover the world of Harry Potter when you were younger? Do you wish other children could experience the magic you felt as you read the books and hoped and dreamed of your own Hogwarts Acceptance Letter? Give them the gift of Hogwarts Camp!
Hogwarts Camp was founded by The Fear Family who had the same dreams you did, read each book as it rolled off the presses, and dressed up in robes and carried a wand to the opening night of every movie. Make sure to sign up HERE for Hogwarts Camp future dates and other magical events!