Harry potter party for 8yr olds, the party is in August and their will be 16 kids (and 18 adults)coming.    INVITES: where made to look like the one harry gets.....with the hogwarts header....  I used parchment paper and printed in old english font & Dark green ink........the invites read.................. (1st page).................. Dear Mr./Miss. (childs name) we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardary. Please find enclosed a list of party details. Term begins on (date). We await your reply by owl or muggle phone. Your sincerely, (your name) Deputy head mistress ............................2nd page........................................ Party details: first year students will need: 1. To come dressed as their favorite Harry Potter character (not required) 2. TO (locations) at (time) 3. For a ride on the Hogwarts express, 4. A shopping spree on Diagon Alley, 5. Wizardry fun, 6. And a banquet of cake and wizard candies in the great hall, 7. You will also need to bring swimwear for water fun. 8. We hope you will come and help us celebrate(childs name and age)birthday! 9.  \* Please RSVP by (date) at (phone #) Thank You! ............................................................................. the envlope was addressed like harrys. and I used red wax and a letter H stamp(that I made from an eraser)....I also added a train ticket that I printed off the computer to board the Hogwart express... _____________________________________________________________ ________________ We are having my sons party at our local park that has a play ground that looks like a BIG castle(Hogwarts) and a Train (Hogwarts express)that takes the kids for rides around the park..... While the kids waite for everyone to arrive they will have free time to play in the castle. After everyone arrives they will be given a bag(black W/ stars and glitter) to go to Diagon Alley and collect their supplies. first to Gringotts bank to get thier Galleons (printed off the computer on card stock) then off to Ollivanders wand shop: Where they will get wands made of wooden dowles spray painted brown or black.(boxes made from black card stock or poster board and cardboard.) next to Flourish and blots: to get their Penciles (decorated as broom sticks and wands) in Keepers (directions at www.kidsdomain.com)and small note pads with black covers and glitter and stars ect.. on them. then to Honey dukes sweet shop: for Bertie botts every flavor beans(I made the bags for these the draw string type), Droobles best blowing gum-(blue gum)(in little boxes I made out of card stock I made boxes for most of the candies listed here), Blood flavored lolly pops-(red suckers), Peppermint humbugs-(peppermint candies)(in box), Dumbledore favorite lemon drops-(lemon heads)(in box), Dementors relief candy-(mini chocolate bars take off the outer wrapper leaving the silver wrapper lable them as dementors chocolates printed off the computer), Chocolate frogs-(use a frog mold and chocolate chips)(in box w/HP trading card), Gummy slugs-(gummy worms), Hogsmeade chocolate-(bats,rats ect...), Magic dust-(pop rocks)(in box),Pretzel wands-(pretzel sticks dipped in chocolate and rolled in star sprinkles), spider pops-(tootise pops decorated as spiders w/wiggle eyes and pipe cleaners) then to the leaky cauldron for butter beer-(bottled root beer remove the lable and printed off new lable on the computer)....... then off to board the Hogwarts express. as they arrive at Hogwarts they will be sorted into their houses(by drawing a badge out of a hat)4 kids in each house....... then the kids will go to class....Herbology class: decorate small pots (I spray painted them black the day before) with glitter, stars,moons ect...Then plant their seeds..........Transfigurations class: play dough fun (I made play dough and used food coloring in house colors) (recipe at www.funology.com)....Potions class: We will have 3 different colors (red, blue & Yellow) of Kool-aid or punch and let the kids mix their own potion in clear cups then add pop rocks.... Defense against the dark arts class: we had a dragon pinata and the kids got a chance at slaying the dragon... then off to the great hall for cake, cup cakes and gift opening.... then the kids will get to play in the water park until they are pick up to go home.... DECORATIONS:the great hall will be decorated with black paper covering the ceiling then add Glow in the dark stars...then hang (w/fishing line) long white candles from the ceiling. Kids tables will have table covers in their house color. (#4 tables) Useing clear plates with stars,moons,lighting bolts painted on the back sides in gliter pens then glue a black plate to the clear one....we will have cups in house colors with house crest glued on them and a clear glass glues over them... utensles will be house colors...Napkins house colors.....their will be house crest banners on the front of each table.... Adult tables..(#2) will be cover w/ navy table cover with stars and moons on them plates will be the same as kids. and cups untensles will be silver and gold..... I had extra candy on the tables in lighting bolt,star and moon shaped bowles. and the punch -(kool-aid) will be in big cauldrons.....  we will have balloons in house colors and some with stars and moons on them all around the party area.....along with star confetti on tables and floor... I also made a sign in book(www.micheals.com)so that each person could write a little note to my son for him to keep.....  GOODIE BAGS: they get all the stuff from their trip to diagon alley and what the made in classes along with little cauldrons (homemade from Kool-aid containers) filled with jelly bellies, globes (my son madeout of baby food jars filled with baby oil and w/ the sorrcer stoen in them), stickers, lighting bolt tattoo, mini stuffed owl or plastic rat,spiders, pop rocks ,HP trading cards, I also make little wizard treasure box(www.micheals.com) I filled them with the tattoos and stickers and a snitch I made for them to hang in their room. My son made flubber for each kid in their house colors (www.geocities.com) HP glasses, all this was wrapped in sheer navy fabric with stars on it and tied w/ silver ribbon and labled with the kids house crest and their name-(they way i did this I already had these made up and lable with house crest and after the kids where sorted into their house while they where eating cake I wrote their names on the tag.)  we sent out wizard hat thank you card with pictures of the kids at the party....I took pictures all through the party.....we also have a magican come while the kids are eating cake.  \*\*I MADE ALOT OF THE STUFF I USED...LIKE THE PENCILE KEEPER AND DECORATING THE PENCILES, THE SIGN IN BOOK, CAULDRONS,WIZARD TREASURE BOX, LIGHTING BOLT TATTOOS,SNITCH, SOCEROR STONE GLOBE, WAND BOXES, WANDS,CLAY DOUGH, WIZARD HAT THANK YOU CARDS,TOOTSIE POP SPIDERS, CUP CAKES, LITTLE BOXES FOR THE CANDIES....AND ALOT MORE THIS IS JUST SOME OF WHAT WE DID....  I decorated the cup cakes in house colors and added pop rocks...each one had a little banner in their house crest glued to a tooth pick and inserted into the cupcake... this party is in a few weeks and we are so excited.....I hope you are able to find new ideas...have fun with your Harry potter party....:)