Transform your child and his or her guests from Muggles to wizards with our Harry Potter Party Ideas! We have suggestions for everything from invitations to activities that will ensure a mystical birthday bash no one will forget!
Harry Potter Children’s Party Planning & Invitations
In addition to basic magical kids party supplies, like plates, cups, napkins, and decorations, you may want to consider purchasing, borrowing or renting the following items for your Harry Potter party:
-
Harry Potter movies, soundtracks or video games
-
A Selection of Magic Tricks
-
Wands
-
You may also want to consider hiring a magician to come perform for your guests.
-
Fold a piece of cardstock in half to create a top-fold card. If you are artistic, draw the Hogwarts crest on the front. Underneath the crest, write, “You are Invited…”
-
Punch a hole in the corner of a card-style invitation and attach it to a magic wand. Ask your guests to bring their wand with them to the party.
-
Create a top-fold card and divide the front of the card into four squares. Write one of the Hogwarts house names in each square (i.e. Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff).
Harry Potter Decorating & Food
Transform your party area into a page out of the Harry Potter series with some ‘mystical’ decorations:
-
Make a “Sorting Hat” by cutting a cone shape from a 24″ x 18″ piece of purple poster board, as shown below. Roll it into a cone, and tape or staple it closed. Cut out star and crescent moon shapes from yellow construction paper, and glue them onto the hat. As each guest arrives, put the hat over his or her head and announce that they have been chosen to the [child’s last name]’s house! Then, use the Sorting Hat as a centerpiece.
-
Hang two or three stuffed owls from the ceiling of the party area.
-
Cut a large lightning bolt out of white poster board and spray paint it silver. Hang it on the door leading to the party.
-
Create placemats that represent the four houses of Hogwarts using plain white construction paper and coloured markers. Write one of the house names on each placemat, and decorate them with the appropriate colours:
-
Slytherin: Green and Silver
-
Gryffindor : Scarlet and Gold
-
Hufflepuff: Yellow and White
-
Ravenclaw: Blue and Silver
-
When it comes to children’s party food, your guests would most likely be perfectly happy with pizza or hotdogs. However, if you would like to include some Harry Potter themed snacks, consider these ideas:
-
Serve “Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans.” We suggest using Jelly Belly brand jelly beans because of the wide variety of flavors available.
-
Make chocolate frogs using chocolate chips and gummy frogs (available at candy stores). Microwave one cup of chocolate chips for one minute or until melted, and stir. Dip the gummy frogs in the melted chocolate, and then place them on wax paper to cool. Keep the frogs chilled until you’re ready to serve them.
-
Serve “magic potion”. Freeze cranberry and grape juice in ice cube trays before the party. Serve a colourless soda at the party, such as ginger ale or lemon-lime. Let your guests select their ice cubes, which will “magically” change the colour of their drinks.
-
There are a number of treats from the Harry Potter stories that are made from everyday products, such as Butter Beer (root beer), Choco Balls (chocolate covered strawberry mousse balls), Fizzing Whizbees (sherbet balls), Rock Cakes (randomly shaped cakes with raisins), chocolate eclairs, and licorice wands.
Harry Potter Party favours
Put a smile on your guests’ faces by sending them home with party favours that fit your theme. You could give one large favour, such as one of the Harry Potter novels or movie tickets; or combine smaller favours such as:
-
A magic wand
-
A book of magic tricks
-
Harry Potter stickers, pencils and stationery items
-
Plastic Harry Potter glasses
