Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis

Thanks for putting this together, Ivey and Lorainia! Many great memories were made!

May you have a magically magnificent birthday, Sky! You deserve it!

I'm a sucker for piano music, so... Dueling Pianos! The performance I went to last summer was a lot of fun. They took requests from the audience and also incorporated silly games for the kids. I'm sure an elite magic school can even charm a couple pianos when the actual pianists need a break.

Padma the Perceptive

How about Seamus Finnigan?

Plush lion in jester outfit on a red diamond cushion background. "Roaring and Revelry" in yellow medieval font.

Gold Awarded!

Arthur the Curious

How about Gilderoy Lockhart?

Katie the Quick

What about Amelia Bones?

Guilty

Chews on pencils/pens?

Fortunately, she landed in a gigantic pool of jello!

Innocent

Has run a 5K?

Fortunately, that someone is just a puppy.

I was wandering Philadelphia with my family once and we stumbled upon this neat location with giant game pieces, including dominoes, pawns, BINGO chips, and Monopoly pieces. It turned out to be an art installation called "Your Turn" created in 1996. The artists involved were Daniel Martinez, Renee Petropoulis, and Roger White. While I'm sure that there is a political message that the artists want to send, Board Game Art Park (as it is commonly called) certainly adds color and provides fun photo opportunities.

I don't think technology can ever truly replace sports. While I don't doubt that some video games can make you sweat, there are certain physical motions that can't be replicated or prompted perfectly via code.

Technology does do a good job of increasing awareness of games and sports. The overall cost of the equipment for some sports and games can be hefty, but a digital version can be more affordable. One of the most annoying aspects of playing a new board game is learning all the rules. If all the rules were already programmed in, then it is much easier for new people to jump right in and play. There are also some board games that are complicated to set up. I've seen people lose interest while waiting for the game to begin, so it would be nice if that was done automatically.

In the end, there is no substitute for receiving a high five from a teammate after a great play or taunting an opponent face-to-face.

True!

Has made a scrapbook?

I slap Sky for making me wonder who gave me my first house points. (It was Prof. Nina Atlas.)

True! Nearly every year.

Has been on a cruise?

I slap Patrick for his soccer skills.

Chariot racing was popular in ancient times. They were featured in the early Olympic Games in Greece. The Circus Maximus in Rome was the largest arena specifically designed for chariot races. A typical race consisted of 4-6 chariots that had to go seven laps around the course. Chariots were pulled by an even number (2-6) of horses. The chariots were made from light, fragile material to make them fast, but it also made them extremely vulnerable to being damaged. The crashes were often the highlight of chariot races, but they were obviously very dangerous for the drivers and the horses. Word on the street is that chariot racing has even killed demigods in Camp Half-Blood, so we no longer have chariot racing.

Muffliato would help my team strategize out loud without the worry that the opposing team might hear us.
The Bedazzling Hex is perfect for outdoor sports, such as sand volleyball, especially when I could blame it on the bright sun instead.
Using the Switching Spell to swap out cards or pieces in board games for more favorable ones is an option.
It also doesn't hurt to use the Vanishing Spell on my opponents' cards or pieces. 
Tickling is a good distraction, so I'd make sure to cast Rictusempra once in a while.

I think you do owe it to the creators to at least learn and attempt to play the game as intended. They probably put in a lot of effort into making the game. Then, testing and tweaking the game until it is as they envisioned it, but also keeping the game balanced. However, there are games that are so complicated that it is frustrating to learn all the rules. Rather than trying to figure out the official rules, it can be easier to wing it and use rules everyone can agree on.

Twists can definitely be fun and make games more interesting. Yesterday, I was at a barbecue and we played ping-pong. There were only four paddles for a typical doubles game, but we had five people. I suggested that whoever made a mistake could get replaced by the person who was out. We dubbed this game "Sub" and it turned out to be really fun. Everyone ended up played for both "teams," but we all still wanted to be on the "winning" team at the end of the game. 

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The one and only Cody Lewis! There's a 50% chance that he put a hex on my broom as a practical joke and if not, he'd know how to go about fixing it.

You're exploring the castle and tentatively walk into a room that you've never seen before. When you try to leave, the door jams and you now seem to be stuck in limbo. Are you in a faulty Vanishing Cabinet? Who you gonna call?

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If typography is involved, we definitely need Amy on the scene!

The groundskeeper has a gnome problem in the vegetable patch and you eagerly volunteer to take care of it for him. However, once you get there, you quickly realize that this is not a one-person job. The gnomes have you severely outnumbered! Who you gonna call?