This week, Camp ROGA received a very special letter sealed with wax and delivered straight from Hogwarts! Our young witches and wizards packed their trunks, grabbed their robes, and stepped through the magical world of Harry Potter for a week filled with enchanting crafts, spellbinding gymnastics, delicious treats, and magical Water Day fun. From Diagon Alley to the Quidditch pitch, every activity was packed with creativity, imagination, and plenty of wizarding adventures that would make even Dumbledore proud.
After the wizards got their letter in the mail, they were raring to go off to Hogwarts, but before they could enter the wizarding world proper, they needed to grab their school supplies. With a pinch of Floo powder and a set of (very) carefully pronounced words, they disappeared from their fireplaces and appeared in Diagon Alley. With so many sights to see, but so little time before their classes, the wizards flitted their way between stores, grabbing everything that they needed. Their first stop was at the Magical Menagerie; stepping through the doors, they were greeted by a cacophony of noise as little beasties and pets squeaked and squawked from the cages lined wall to wall within the store. The little wizards had a hard time picking their favorites, but since so many of them were proficient in Parseltongue (hissing constantly counts, right?), they decided to bring a snake with them to school. But with so many different (paint) colors, gems, and different magical breeds to choose from, every camper got their own unique pet which they could take with them to Hogwarts. Then it was time for them to head over to Ollivanders and pick up their very own wand. But it appears that Ollivander ran out of the usual yew, chestnut, and holly wood, and so he had to get creative. Campers this time made their wands out of clay; normally, a wand picks the wizard, but this time the wizards made the wand. Using the clay to shape their wands into whatever shape they desired, whether that be spiral or beads, or some other wacky combination, the wizards fashioned themselves the perfect spell-casting device and were ready to head to their first wizarding class. The first class was Potions with Professor-Coach Snape; campers got to mix up whatever potion they desired with all of the ingredients that they got from Diagon Alley. Glitter and food coloring stood in for bezor and toad eyes, but that did not make the mixing any less fun. The campers came up with all kinds of different potions; fire breathing was a popular one, and there was plenty of liquid luck floating about. Some even made a potion that turned you into Daniel Radcliffe (and they specified Daniel Radcliffe, not Harry Potter). Next, the campers headed to their charms class, and each of them channeled their inner hermonie granger when they cast Occulus reparo! And conjured up a pair of glasses for each camper to wear. Each camper got a pair of glasses to decorate and take home, and by the time that the charms stopped flying, all the campers needed was a lightning-shaped scar, and they would be ready to defeat the dark lord themselves.
Our witches and wizards put their magical training in the sky blue halls of Hogwarts. Every station offered a new challenge worthy of a Triwizard Champion. Campers mounted the bars and soared off to a Quidditch match, tumbled across the floor dodging enchanted chess pieces, and leaped through the foam walls of Platform 9 ¾. Campers climbed to the Astronomy Tower, while obstacle courses had everyone racing to collect “house points”. Whether practicing cartwheels, swings, jumps, or climbs, every camper got plenty of mileage out of Wingardium Leviosa. By the end of the day, our campers had completed another magical round of training and were more than ready for whatever adventures awaited them next at Camp ROGA.
Once their spell classes were done, the campers headed out onto the quidditch pitch for a tasty snack. Campers had some pretzel brooms, which were made from pretzels, a recess cup for the end, and some smaller pretzels topped with marshmallows for the broom spokes. Campers got their house spirit on with some house-themed snack cups, each with a different snack for the different houses. Staying in the spirit of House pride, we had pudding cups and Rice Krispies bars, each with different house colors on them so that campers could stick with their sorting hat choices.
At the end of the week, campers broke out the Aguamenti spell with gusto. Buckets, water balloons, and sponge games turned ordinary activities into magical challenges, with everyone trying to stay one step ahead of the next water curse. Between games, campers gathered with their friends to enjoy the sunshine before heading back for another round of watery adventures. The combination of warm summer weather, energetic games, and Harry Potter-themed fun made Water Day a favorite part of the week. By the time the last splash landed, our young witches and wizards were soaked, smiling, and already looking forward to the next magical adventure waiting at Camp ROGA.
As the Hogwarts Express pulled away for another year, our campers left with magical memories, handcrafted treasures, and stories they’ll be sharing long after the last spell was cast. Whether they were brewing potions, soaring through gymnastics, enjoying wizard-worthy snacks, or splashing through Water Day, every camper brought their own magic to Camp ROGA. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back for another exciting week of adventures, where a brand-new theme and even more unforgettable memories are waiting!