J.K. Rowling Announces ‘Harry Potter at Home’ Site With Magical Crafts and Activities for Everyone Stuck Inside

Growing up, Harry Potter was no stranger to self-isolation and social distancing—spending endless hours in the cupboard under the stairs and steering clear of the Dursleys whenever possible—and now, he’s here to help us all through it.

J.K. Rowling took to Twitter to announce the launch of “Harry Potter at Home,” a digital hub on WizardingWorld.com with crafts, quizzes, puzzles, and articles for new fans and long-time Potterheads alike. You can, for example, watch a step-by-step tutorial on how to draw a cuddly little Niffler, find words like butterbeer and troll in an online word search, and check out a handy guide to reading the Harry Potter books for the first time.

As Variety reports, the project is mainly a joint venture between Rowling’s American publishing houses, Bloomsbury and Scholastic. And Audible is getting in on the magical action, too—the Amazon-owned audiobook company has made the audio edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, read by Stephen Fry, free to stream on its Audible Stories site. Library provider OverDrive is making the audiobook and the e-book versions of the first novel freely available through the end of April, and you can easily access them through the Libby app.

Rowling has even granted permission for teachers to record videos of themselves reading from any Harry Potter book and share it with their students, as long as it’s posted to a secure school network or other closed video platform.

In general, the primary goal of “Harry Potter at Home” is to help children stay occupied and intellectually stimulated while stuck inside during the coronavirus pandemic, but you definitely don’t have to be a student to appreciate the hub’s activities and resources. As the Wizarding World team said in the announcement, it’s “a place for you to feel the warmth of the fire in the Gryffindor common room or a much-needed hug from Mrs Weasley.”

[h/t Variety]