Who wants to play a game? From wizard 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!

Illustration by Jim Kay © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc