Harry Potter Camp encourages kids to read
Elmhurst, Illinois might not be an obvious choice for an American version of Hogwarts, but next week, this Chicago suburb will host Harry Potter Camp for children ages 8-12. According to their website, there are still spots open for those wishing to attend the daytime summer session beginning July 8 through July 19.
The professors who brought Hogwarts to Illinois are fans of the book series and belonged to their high school’s Harry Potter Club, where they came up with the idea for the summer camp. Caroline Dierksheide and Georgia Schneider, both college students, organized these sessions with one goal in mind. “The idea is to get the kids excited about reading,” says Dierksheide. “Hopefully we’ll get them excited to finish reading the series, because I don’t think any of them have yet.”
The activities that young witches and wizards will be participating in include transfiguration, herbology, potion making, flying lessons, and learning about mythical creatures. In the first session held last month, students made gillywater and exploding lemonade, participated in a Triwizard Tournament and also received a magical pet to take home with them. The cost for registration is $75 per child and $60 for additional children within the same family, with costs covering a camp t-shirt, wand, stuffed pet, and various crafting supplies.
For more information on the camp, the activities, and to register for the last summer session, visit the Harry Potter Camp website. Remember, the summer session starts on Monday, July 8, so don’t wait to register.
If you could attend Harry Potter Camp, what activities would you want to participate in or be looking forward to most? Leave your answer below in the comments section!