With Quidditch season on hiatus, witches and wizards must find new ways to entertain themselves athletically during the summer season. But that shouldn’t be too worrisome, given the number of pleasing pastimes that are available. Team sports are always an option; besides Quidditch, there is the ever popular Batball, now in its high season, where the ever illusive (and now magically enchanted) striated “bat” flies around the field, avoiding as many players wielding sticks as possible. And the many levels of Schlumdinger, the leap-frogging funfest, will have many a player literally in stitches. And, of course, there is always the option of muggle sport watching, although most of the fun in that lies in finding ways to attend and cheer, rather than actually watching—unless one really prefers antiquated activities. The more independent witch or wizard can put their hats in for a few of the more daring muggle adventures; done individually, they can be quite entertaining. Rock climbing, bungee jumping and hang-gliding are three such treats muggles seem to find quite dangerous; of course, for those in the wizarding world they rarely are, thanks to our hovering charms, and instead make quite fun outings for the kiddies. Wizards seeking a more group oriented, laid-back pastime might try Frisbee throwing, another muggle sport, where one person tosses a disk shaped object to another. (The wizarding variation of this, Rooboo, involves an enchanted disk that can fly by itself, and can be rather mean at times, so take care.) Also available is Quiffaff, which involves two rackets, a light weighted object (a doxy or puffskein will do) and a high strung net. For the kids, there is the popular Morphit, where a selected person, called the “it” is transfigured into their favorite gentle creature until they can “catch” another player in the game. (Parents, pleased be warned, however…the dummy wands sold for this game are generally harmless, but recently there have been reports that Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley have been selling some carnivorous creature wands that have resulted in more than one mishap.) And, of course, that ever beloved plastic concoction, the Flip n’ Slide, a flat plastic tarp sprayed with water that magically tosses the sliding young wizard into a 3 and a half foot split wave dive (or one of ten other diving options). The accompanying pool (concealed with concealing charms, of course) comes in three different sizes to accommodate your residential needs (those within London, as per MOM request, are required to purchase the 6’ version, as it doesn’t extend much beyond the view line of most Muggle houses and flats). And so, the wizarding world does provide relief for those summer days of boredom and contentment. And, of course, young ones, if they’re really suffering from ennui, can always start practicing their Quidditch skills for fall tryouts!!! |