Party Ideas -- From Hogwarts to Gingerbread -- Festive Themes Abound This Season

A holiday party is a fun way to lift spirits during the winter. Halloween, Thanksgiving and other joyful bashes are a snap thanks to excellent preparation. Here’s a few ideas to help jumpstart your party. 

Harry, Goblins and Halloween Bashes

Celebrate Halloween with a fun and spooky party. Keep the spook factor pretty low for younger children, but gear it up for older children. Scooby, Shaggy and the gang are great for ages 4 to 7, where this cool doggy is a great celebrant of harmless macabre mysteries. Though most stores carry Scooby goods, computer-savvy planners can visit www.birthdayexpress. com for great Scooby-Doo party packages.

Harry Potter is a great theme for older kids who want to recreate Harry’s magical world. Send out “Acceptance Letters to Hogwarts School” (The Scorcer’s Stone, page 31), where handmade scrolls are party invitations. For a Hogwarts’ welcome, post signs for Diagon Alley, Privet Drive and Hogsmead and include glow-in-the-dark stars.

If your budget permits, hire a Merlin/Harry Potter-type wizard to perform magic tricks. Keep guests busy with a pumpkin-carving contest and a Marauder’s Map treasure hunt of your imagination. Serve star-shaped cookies, popcorn spiced with a selection of magic herbal toppings (taco seasoning, Parmesan cheese and cinnamon sugar) and scoop punch from a plastic caldron. Pass out magic stones, groan tubes and Harry Potter stickers as party favors.