Have a “Harry Potter” fan in your household? Then this party theme is for you! Read through this whole article for a full guide on how to throw your young wizard the best birthday ever.
What Age is This Party Theme For?
One of the important things to consider when planning a party is whether a given theme is appropriate for your child's age group. Some party themes are better suited for older children, and we think this is one of them. We recommend this Harry Potter theme for children ages 7-11.
Children younger than seven may not be too familiar with Harry Potter. Of course, if your child just so happens to be a younger fan, there's no reason then not to have this type of party! Seven tends to be a common age for kids to get into this series, hence our age minimum. This party theme can be adjusted for children as young as five, if applicable.
Children usually outgrow themed parties by 12 or 13. By this age, they'd rather just spend time with friends or go out and do something. This transition can be bittersweet for parents, but there are plenty of new memories to make for your child's birthday as they grow older!
Always make sure to check a theme over with your child before settling on it. This is their special day, after all! They should definitely get a say in what happens at their party.
Harry Potter Party Theme – The Great Hall
Make a Sorting Hat centerpiece. Cut a cone shape from a piece of 24×18 purple poster board. Roll it into a cone and tape or staple it together. Cut out crescent moons and stars from yellow paper and glue on. Place a few stuffed owls around the party room. Make stars and lightning bolts from white poster board. Paint them silver and gold and use them to decorate the party room. Hang some from the ceiling, glue some to the walls, and attach some to the chairs.
For older children, decorate the room with lit candles. Make place mats that represent the four houses of Hogwarts. Use plain white paper and the colors that correspond to each house. The house colors are: Slytherin: silver and green, Hufflepuff: yellow and white, Ravenclaw: blue and silver, and Gryffindor: scarlet and gold. Let each child choose a piece of paper from the sorting hat to determine which house they are in, and where they will sit at the party table. Be sure you have the same number of placemats and pieces of paper.
Harry Potter Party Theme – The Great Banquet
Serve Bertie Botts-flavored beans. You can either buy the Bertie Botts beans, or use Jelly Belly jelly beans. The Bertie's beans have some odd flavors, like grass and vomit. Make chocolate frogs by melting chocolate chips in the microwave, and dipping gummy frogs into the melted chocolate. Place them on wax paper to cool and harden. Keep them chilled until you serve them. To make a wizard hat cake, bake three or four round cakes of the same size. Stack the cakes, frosting between the layers. Cut the layers into a cone shape. Frost the whole cake with purple frosting. Decorate the hat with yellow star and crescent moons.