Awe Can2K I'm sorry... You may still be able to give her the ICE MAGIC type letter even if her birthday has past, though. That's the great thing about creating something like this - it can be anything you want it to be. Something along the lines of kids for the correspondence program are selected during the year that they turn 11 or the correspondence term starts in January so letters are sent at Christmas or New Year's Eve. You could even do it for an older or younger kid. It's whatever you want it to be.
I love supporting my DD's creativity and allowing her to remain a little girl as long as possible. She said last night that she had a "perfect birthday" and went to school today proudly wearing the "I got a Hogwarts Letter" shirt that my mother gave her. But it doesn't have to be ON your DD's birthday to still be special.
A few little details we came up with in case you or anyone wants to do this:
- make your paper look like parchment by dipping in tea and placing (carefully) under the broiler
- seal the envelope with wax and a stamp with an H
- place Hogwarts seal on top of the letter
- remember to put where your child sleeps on the envelope
- a stuffed owl that comes to life at night when it has mail to deliver (or once she learns the necessary spells... ) gets around the live owl issue.
