HARRY POTTER INVITATIONS
Make your invitations with an antique white or beige card stock paper
and a purple or red wax stamp if possible. 
Write:
"You have been accepted into the Hogwarts School 
of Magic and Wizardry to celebrate the birthday of ______.

Then add all of the party details. If you don't have a wax stamp,
roll the paper into a scroll and tie with a gold or purple ribbon.
Invite guests to come dressed in wizards or witches robes. 

Create the Magic
Welcome guests to Hogwarts School as they arrive.
Use face paint to make a lightning bolt scar on each 
child's forehead. Set the stage with your activity stations. 
Use poster board to make signs for "Diagon Alley",
"Professor Snape's Potions class", "Hagrid's Hut",
"The Great Hall".....match the locations to your activities.

Sorting Hat

Introduce your guests to the fantastic world of Harry Potter as soon as they walk through the door with this easy paper bag sorting hat.
We used a paper grocery bag folded inside out and stapled. Place the hat upon each guest's head as they enter the party room. To "go -all-out" , pre-record a voice repeating the houses - Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Slytherin - one by one, in any order you choose. 
It would be simpler however, to have someone holler from the other room.
Before the party make several house badges with the names Slytherin, Griffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. We've already made some for you to print...click here to print.

Use a hole punch and yarn for children to wear the badges around their necks. After the Sorting Hat has "spoken", give each child a badge with
the name of their house.

HARRY POTTER BIRTHDAY PARTY GAMES & ACTIVITIES
Keep your wizards and witches busy with a few 
craft activities to match the theme. You'll only need
to select a few for your party.

Spider Hunt
Aragog is one BIG spider - she has lost her 
baby spiders and the kids are on a mission to find them 
before she gets upset. Hide plastic spiders around the party
area and send the children to find them as fast as they can.

Wand Making -
To make wands, collect short, dry sticks from your yard, 
or purchase wooden rods from a hobby store. 
Attach a feather, sprinkle with glitter, decorate with sequins 
or ribbon, etc. Let the children decorate their own special wand. 
One mother we spoke to, gave the kids colored electrical tape to
wrap 12 inch pieces of dowel. This idea got receive our vote for neatness and the fact that there was no drying time.

Golden Snitch Pin or Magnet


You'll Need:
White craft foam
Gold or yellow colored "pom-pom"
Hot glue gun or craft glue
Gold glitter, glitter glue or sequins
Pin backs or self sticking magnetic strip
Scissors (several pairs)

To Make:
Trace the shape of the wings on the craft foam before 
the party. The children will cut them out on their own.
The wings can be left white or decorated with glitter glue, 
gel pens or sequins. Attach the pom-pom's and pin backs 
to the wings with craft glue or a hot glue gun ( adults only).

Professor Snape's Potions Class
Lead the group in making a potion, and then let the 
kids make their own. Be creative and have fun! 
You'll need small bottles/jars, baking soda, vinegar and 
food coloring. Let the kids mix their own colors with 
food coloring and vinegar. The magic comes when they 
add the baking soda to create a foaming response!
DON"T forget to cover your surface and have each 
child wear an oversized shirt for a smock.

Magic Potion
This is basically a fruit flavored ice cream float.
If you provide a few choices for flavors the kids can mix
and match to make their own potions.
An activity and a treat that older children can certainly
make this with supervision and younger kids can help!

You'll need:
A few flavors of Italian Syrup (Torranni's)
Vanilla Ice cream
Club Soda
6 Tall Glasses

Put 1 or 2 scoops of ice cream into each glass.
Pour the Italian Syrup over the ice cream and add the soda.
soda. The children may want to mix flavors for a truly special potion!

Top with a swirl of whipped cream and a Bertie Bot 
jelly bean (jelly belly) or "POP ROCKS" candy.

Womping Willow Tag
Played just like freeze tag. Before the party attach some feax leaves
onto a hat with a glue gun. One child is selected to be the
Womping Willow and that player will wear the hat. When the game begins the Womping Willow will try to tag the players. When a player is tagged they must freeze until another player casts a freeze removal spell on them.
"REMOVE-OUS FREEZEOMOUS" (or something similar).
 

MAGICAL HARRY POTTER TREATS
Magic Wand Pretzels
Prepare the night before the party.
Dip large pretzel sticks into melted white chocolate bark.
Then into colored sprinkles. Let them harden on waxed paper.

HARRY POTTER CUPCAKES - CAKE  


Make your own Harry Potter Cake
A simple sheet or round cake is much cheaper and tastier than store bought. Top your cake with wizard hats, using frosted ice cream cones and frosting stars add a pair of plastic glasses!

HARRY POTTER PARTY FAVORS AND PRIZES
Send your guests home with party magic...
Create Wizard Hats with black card stock paper and a stapler.
Decorate with gold star stickers. Fill the hat with some Jelly Belly jelly beans, an owl bean bag, toy snitch, stickers etc. Harry potter toys and prizes are very easy to find. Magic party favors and prizes >>
 

Related Links:
Harry Potter Birthday Party
Harry Potter Prisoner of Azkaban Party
Kids Birthday Party Themes
Party Games
Party Supplies
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