JK Rowling Rolls Out 'Harry Potter At Home' For Kids In Quarantine

Accio entertainment! Bring on the boredom busting with J.K. Rowling’s new online hub

Leave it to the same woman who gifted us all with the whole wizarding world (including butterbeer!) to swoop in and save the quarantined day. Because to help parents and educators keep their housebound kids entertained, J.K. Rowling has launched “Harry Potter At Home” — a special online hub filled with themed quizzes, puzzles, word searches, and even a video tutorial teaching fans how to draw a Niffler. Also on the docket? Discovering your Hogwarts house.

And since the site is a collaboration with Audible, Bloomsbury, OverDrive, Pottermore Publishing, and Scholastic, it also offers perks like education activity kits and free access to the audio version of the first book in the hit series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The author took to Twitter to announce the exciting new online activity portal, acknowledging that parents and kids on lockdown “might need a bit of magic” right now.

“For over twenty years now, Hogwarts has been an escape for all — for readers and fans, young and old. During the strange times we now find ourselves in, we want to welcome you back to Hogwarts, where you will find a friendly retreat for you, your family, and those you are caring for,” Rowling explains on the hub.

The news of “Harry Potter at Home” follows Rowling’s recent announcement that she was relaxing the copyrights on her iconic series so that teachers would be able to teach the books from home to their students throughout the pandemic.

The “lovingly curated space” comes at the perfect time, considering social distancing protocols were just extended through the month of April. More than ever, we all really could use a little magic (you know, since we haven’t found any spare vials of Felix Felicis lying around). And make no mistake: “Harry Potter at Home” isn’t just for kids. Rowling wants more, ahem, aged Potterheads to know the portal is meant to comfort us during these unprecedented times, too.

“The hub is also a place for those of you who have loved Harry Potter for decades: a place for you to feel the warmth of the fire in the Gryffindor common room or a much-needed hug from Mrs. Weasley,” she writes, and yes please. We can’t help but think of the iconic words of Professor Dumbledore in this moment, who memorably said, “Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

To get your family in on the fun, head over to “Harry Potter at Home.” We recommend starting with the sorting hat (Ravenclaws, represent!).