Magic themed parties are all the rage amongst little Harrys and Hermoines! For littler birthday boys and girls, it might be all about magic tricks and rabbits in hats! Baby Hints and Tips is here to help you throw a magical party for a budding witch, wizard or magician!
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Harry Potter party game – Potions
Making potions is the best party game ever and best of all, you can use the child’s potion and wand as the main prize in their goody bag. It takes a little creativity to set up but the wow factor is worth it. For your potions party game, you will need:
- Spell scrolls
- Magic wands
- A “cauldron” (we used an old fondue bowl)
- Essential oils
- Potpourri
- A small plastic bottle for each guest
- Water
Keeping the costs down!
Prepare for your Harry Potter party in plenty of time if you want to do it on a tight budget. Little plastic bottles, aromatherapy oils, party bag sized cauldrons, party favours, Harry Potter merchandise, paint brushes… everything you need to throw an awesome Harry Potter party is available through sites like Aliexpress.com cheaply. They do however take up to six weeks to delver, so get onto your party planning early.
Harry Potter Spells
Pick up some cheap and cheerful essential oils from your local dollar store, or, if you have plenty of time, order them very cheaply from a site like AliExpress. Grab a few bottles and then craft your spells using the ingredients at hand. Each spell should have a list of ingredients and a magical poem or phrase that the child can recite when making their potion. These need to be pretty simple. A few examples:
Speed Potion
1 drop lemon
2 drops orange
1 drop jasmine
1/2 cup water
Fast and strong and full of might
Make me run fast as light
Watch the kids actually speed up once they’ve made this one. It’s magical just to see them really believe!
Happiness potion
1 drop vanilla
1 drop lavender
1 drop strawberry
1 drop lemon
1/2 cup water
A happy potion for girls and boys
Make me feel all full of joy
You can create any kind of potion that will excite your child. From jumping high, to dreamy sleeping, the potions they can create are only limited by their own imaginations!
Parchment Scrolls
Print a document with one potion per A4 page. Take the white A4 and create Harry Potter style parchment. You will need:
- Your printed potions
- 1/2 cup of very strong instant coffee
- ribbon
- Create a very very strong instant coffee and pour it into a large baking tray or dish.
- Lay your spells in the coffee, soaking them on both sides
- Carefully hang to dry (they’re fragile)
- Once dry, they’ll not only look very old but they’ll feel like parchment rather than paper.
- Roll them and tie them with a ribbon for party guests to open.
Harry Potter Wands
Every child needs their own wand. Bonus points if you make one wand in particular shake when the child’s hand passes over it. Believing makes the party truly magical! To make wands you will need:
- Large watercolour paint brushes in brown or black
- Duct tape
Simply place a piece of tape over the brush end of the paintbrush and then wrap tape around it to form a “handle” for the wand.
At the birthday party
This activity needs careful supervision. Be sure to explain to all children that magical potions are NOT for drinking (or for getting in little eyes) and that each one must be diluted with the correct amount of water or the spells won’t work. Make sure they know to wash their hands after making their potion. For bonus points, add a little dry ice to their water supply!
The “crafting table” will be used throughout the party so it’s the perfect place to park grandpa to supervise! Give them plenty of supplies and instructions for adding the water and potpourri as a base before adding the drops (this not only dilutes the oils but it stops them wasting too much oil in each potion). You will also need a lined bin for “discarded” potions. If you’re expecting more than 10 guests, it’s a good idea to put out three or four cauldrons so lots of kids can have a turn at once.
Harry Potter Party Bags
Your party bags will contain their potion and wand from the game – so you’re half way there. Other ideas for a Harry Potter party bag are available cheaply at dollar stores or online. You can also find printables for most decorations and party bag inclusions on craft blogs. Your loot bag could include:
- Mini cauldrons
- Dollar store “harry glasses”
- Harry’s scar tattoos
- Sweets in “House” colours
- Jelly beans and other sweets with Bertie Botts packaging
- Golden Lindt balls “snitches” with paper wings
- A “House” tie cut from fabric or construction paper in House colours
- Owl, rat and cat toys and sweets
- Craft feathers with sample ink pots
- Parchment to create spells at home
- Seed bombs for “magical herbs”
- Small Aldi chocolate bars wrapped to resemble the Hogwarts acceptance letter
Magic Parties for Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers
For littler people who are a bit obsessed with magic tricks, a magic party can include a guest magician or even a bunny petting zoo. You don’t need to be little to want a magic party but if you are, here are some cool ideas from Brisbane mum Amanda!
Magic Party Entertainment
Amanda’s daughter is bunny and magician obsessed so Amanda created a new spin on the classic Pin The Tail On The Donkey party game as well as magical pass the parcels and other classic party games. Amanda also booked a magician for her daughter’s big day who entertained the kids. Her top tip? Make sure the magician knows the age of the children attending and will put on an age appropriate show. Magic tricks can take a long time to set up, so a professional magician with experience working with children can make sure nobody gets bored.
Magicians are a great option as party entertainers as their shows tend to be highly interactive and kids get to “be the volunteer”. They’ll also likely bring their own rabbit and possibly even some birds.
Party Bag Ideas for a Magic Party
Like Harry Potter parties, planning early will save you a lot of money! You can buy affordable magic tricks, top hats and other magical bits and pieces but it will take time to get them delivered to Australia.
