How do you cast a spell over everyday games?
Who wants to play a game? From Wizard's chess to Gobstones, witches and wizards have a lot of choice when it comes to indoor games. To keep you busy and entertained, we’ve thought about some everyday games you might be playing at home. Here are a few ideas to make them a little bit more magical…
Wizard’s Hangman
You might have heard of the word game Hangman. In the wizard version, you won’t be drawing a stick figure, you’ll be drawing a stick-wizard on a broomstick:
Player one thinks of a word – try to make sure it features in the Harry Potter books!
Player one draws dashes at the bottom of a piece of paper. The dashes represent the number of letters in the word
The other players try to guess the letters of the word. Only one letter per turn!
If a letter is guessed and it belongs in the word, player one must write the letter on top of the correct dash
If a letter is incorrect, then draw a line to start on your stick-wizard
If each part of the stick-wizard and broomstick is completed before the word is guessed – they fly away and player one wins the game
Tips for drawing your stick-wizard on a broomstick
Start with the broomstick. Draw one line for the handle and three smaller lines for the twigs. Make sure it’s floating in the air!
The stick-wizard must sit on the broomstick
The final detail of the stick-wizard is their wand. Don’t forget!
Harry Potter Bingo: Philosopher’s Stone Edition
If you’re reading the first Harry Potter book, this is the game for you.
Copy the bingo card we’ve provided above. Use a ruler to draw the squares and then write one word into each square
Whilst you’re reading the book, keep an eye out for the words that appear on your bingo card
When you find one, draw a line through the square that contains the word you’ve discovered
If you manage to cross out all your squares, shout, BINGO! or DUMBLEDORE, if you prefer…
If you want to play again, why not ask a member of your household to draw a new bingo card and fill it with new words!
Snitches & Lightning Bolts
Have you ever played the logic game, noughts & crosses? Well, Snitches & Lightning Bolts is almost exactly the same. But instead of drawing a cross you draw a lightning bolt – just like the one Harry has on his head. And instead of a nought, you draw a Snitch. Here’s how to play:
This is a two-player game
Draw two horizontal lines and two vertical lines, creating a grid with nine squares. Make sure the lines are far enough apart!
Choose who is going to draw lightning bolts and who is going to draw Snitches.
Each player takes it in turns to draw a lightning bolt or Snitch in an empty square.
To win, you must make a line of lightning bolts or Snitches. The line can be horizontal, vertical and diagonal.
Drawing tips:
For the lightning bolt, remember that it is zigzag-shaped.
For the Snitch, start by drawing a small circle and then adding a wing on each side.
Don’t worry too much about getting them exactly right, it’s the magical thought that counts!
