Harry Potter author JK Rowling has launched a brand new Hogwarts-themed website for children and parents hoping to give self-isolation a magical twist, promising everything from quizzes and puzzles through to 'nifty magical craft videos'.
Sharing the link to the brand new site, HarryPotterAtHome, Rowling said: "Parents, teachers and carers working to keep children amused and interested while we're on lockdown might need a bit of magic, so I'm delighted to launch HarryPotterAtHome.com."
Users can start off by finding out which Hogwarts House they belong in as they register, before pretending they're real Hogwarts students with 'First Year Quizzes', themed wordsearches and crosswords, guides on how to draw a Niffler and more.
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A notice on the website explains: "Welcome to the Harry Potter At Home hub where you'll find all the latest magical treats to keep you occupied - including special contributions from Bloomsbury and Scholastic, nifty magical craft videos (teach your friends how to draw a Niffler!), fun articles, quizzes, puzzles and plenty more for first-time readers, as well as those already familiar with the wizarding world."
It adds: "We're casting a Banishing Charm on boredom!"
The new website will no doubt be as much of a treat for children as it is for parents - many of whom have had to step in as teachers while schools remain closed in some countries amid the outbreak of coronavirus.
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Already people are thrilled with the new website, with one person tweeting: "This site is awesome! Kind of like if Hogwarts offered remote learning."
A grateful parent also said: "OMG thank you for this. We are spending our lock down days reading Harry Potter - currently on book 3. My son is 9 and adores them but we had to stop him reading in bed as he was getting so excited he couldn't sleep so now we read in the kitchen before bed."
A third added: "This is DEFINITELY going to be a source of entertainment for me as well. I'm neither a parent, teacher or caregiver! Thank you for releasing this, you're helping a lot of people. Off to draw a Niffler now."
Rowling also recently announced she was relaxing the licence on people reading Harry Potter books on video, in a bid to help teachers reach kids at home.
Teachers anywhere in the world are permitted to post videos of themselves reading from Harry Potter books 1-7 onto schools' secure networks or closed educational platforms from today until the end of the school year (or the end of July in southern hemisphere)," a statement on Rowling's website says.
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"The open licence for teachers is the first of several initiatives being planned to help bring Harry Potter to children at home."
Let's all bring some positivity, support and fun to anyone who might find themselves in isolation as a result of the coronavirus spread. Need some entertainment? Join Isolation Nation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/coronasupport/
Topics: Harry Potter, JK Rowling, Entertainment, TV and Film, News, Coronavirus
