Harry Potter birthday party help!!!

[LSUBabe]

I struck out with this on the creative board. I'm asking y'all because I know there are HP fans on here!! My soon to be 9 y/o daughter has decided on a HP birthday party. We have a full itinerary and tons of cool ideas. One thing has me stumped. She seems to have her heart set on an Ollivander's type experience. She wants the wand to choose the wizard and I am short on ideas to make that happen. I read on one blog that they had the kids select wands out of a cup (one of those ones with the button on the bottom to make it light up). The child would know that they got to the right one when it lit up. I like that idea, but that was for a 6 y/o party and I don't think it will fly with 9 y/o's. I am sure they have all seen or even own one of those cups. I would like to do something along that line though for ease and the little time involved. She is envisioning spells gone awry for the wrong ones and wind and lights and music for the right wand. Anyone have any ideas????

 

[damo]

The experience at Ollivander's includes music, wind and lights. You would need all these things --- a fan, radio, spotlight plugged into a power bar and have someone turn on the power bar when the child gets the right wand.

For spells gone right and wrong you almost need a puppet theater type of large box with someone inside popping things up or pulling things down. Do you have a magic shop in your town with magic trick props like collapsible flowers?

There used to be a little toy where you pressed a button on the bottom and the whole thing collapsed.
http://www.meritline.com/push-puppet-wooden-dancing-dolls---p-58071.aspx?source=fghdac

If that could be attached to something where the person underneath could be pressing the button it would be able to die or dance.

The show also has a ringing of the bells which can be easily done with someone under the box.

 

[Momw/aplan]

I know this isn't exactly what she was asking for, but both of my kids have had HP parties for the past 2 years (spanning ages 8-12 years old across the 4 parties).

What we have done each time is to hold "tryouts" for a wand maker's apprentice. The concept is Mr. Olivander is looking for a new apprentice, so we are all going to learn how to make our own wands while "trying out" for the position at the same time.

In advance of the party, I get thick, wooden dowels from Hobby Lobby, as well decorative wooden dowel caps (in the same department) that will fit the dowels (these will be the handle end of the wand). I use a Dremmel tool to round off one end of each dowel (the wand tip) as well as make markings up and down the dowel to make it look a little more organic (or stick like). Then I stain both the dowels and the end caps.

I also buy leatherlike lace in a few different colors (it's thicker than thread, but not by much. It's kind of wax coated. I get it in the leather crafts section). This will be wrapped around the lower portion of the wand to create a decorative grip. I also have both gold and silver fairy dust style glitter.

I fully assemble one wand for myself ahead of time to use at the party and to show as an example. Once at the party, after being sorted into houses, I give them the spiel about the apprentice tryouts, they each choose their wand supplies (a stick, handle cap, grip color and glitter color) and then they make their own custom wands with a little help from me as needed. The last thing they do is smear a little Elmer's glue on the tip where I sprinkle their choice of fairy dust providing the wand with its magic (as well as creating an "illuminated" tip.) At the end of the activity, I declare one kid the winner (usually whoever was most enthusiastic/worked the hardest on their wand), and that kid gets a small prize (usually a homemade laminated bookmark with Wand Maker's Apprentice on it).

The kids all have a blast, and they get to go home with a very "real" looking wand.

The wands don't choose them, but it is still quite HP immersive. Several of the parents have told me more than a year after the first parties that the kids are still quite proud of their wands. They play with them, yet display and protect them as well.

I can try to post a pic of my wand if you'd like, if I can figure out how to do it.

 

[AnjieNet]

I can try to post a pic of my wand if you'd like, if I can figure out how to do it.

Not the OP, but I'd love to see it just in case DD decides she wants a HP party next year after visiting IOA. Sounds like a lot of fun!

 

[Momw/aplan]

Deleted post. See below.

 

[Momw/aplan]

(wish I knew how to remove this post entirely, but alas I don't.)

 

[Momw/aplan]

Okay, I think this one is much better. I'll try to delete the HUGE image above.

 

[czycropper]

Just did this in March for my DD12 birthday party.

We didn't have an Olivander dress up but it was Snape (my DD14's best friend)...we had music playing in the background and he would take a wand (which we made from clay) and describe the wand then, have the girls do their best "spell", if the wand picked the girl then a light would turn on...it was actually a switch that he motion to me to turn on which we had hooked up to a reading lamp.

The girls really enjoyed it and they all loved their wands.

My DH dressed up as Dumbledore, DD14 as Bellatrix, her BFF as Snape and I was McGonagall. My DH - kept yelling SILENCE whenever the girls became too loud - it was hysterical.

Have fun!

 

[jkshel]

Hope this doent sound to hokey but I had an idea for the wands. Do you live near a wooded area? I had the idea of going out and findind some "wand-like" branches and maybe cutting them down to size, and then simply taking a bit of leather shoestring or strapping and (hot glue?) wrapping it around the base like a handle of sorts? Although I'm not a Potter expert, one would think the "real" wands would be made of tree branches. That would be neat to present each guest with there wand, and maybe you could ask someone on the Creative board to design a authencitity letty of sorts stating the wand had chose them and that it was forged from an enchanted tree in the forests surrounding Hogwarts and have Ollivander sign each on in person after the presentation.

-Another idea is to make homeade butterbeer. I've seen recipes on the boards and on Google of how to make a similiar tasting butterbeer type drink.

-Maybe make each guest up a take home bag of Bertie Botts jellybeans You could use a bulk bag of jellybellys and give each child a little baggy of them)

-Or even fill a large jar with jelly beans with a Bertie Botts type label (googleit and surely you can find one on it and hav them all use there wizarding powers to guess how any are in the jar and whoever is closest wins the jar.

Hmm...... I love planning my kids parties with all types of homeade ideas, so if i think of anything else I'll let you know!! whatever you plan on doing, please post pictures as we would all love to see them!! Good luck and have fun!!

 

[LSUBabe]

I found a great idea online to make wands out of rolled up paper and hot glue. My daughter and I have had a blast designing them. They are still in process, but I will post pics when I am done.

We are going to have the kids start by running through the brick wall at platform 9 3/4 (a curtain painted by bricks). HP and the Sorcerer's stone will be playing to entertain them. They will head to Diagon Alley (The front porch) where they will get their bag of galleons from Gringott's and head to Flourish and Blotts for books, robes and quills (combining for practicality) and then to Ollivander's for their wands. After, it is back to the "Great Hall" for the Sorting ceremony. The sorting hat will announce, via cell phone on speaker, the girls houses and they will get a pin with their house crest. No one will go to Slytherin in hopes of preventing hurt feelings. Then they will divide by house to head to classes. Potions to make a couple of concoctions, Divination to have their fortunes read, and Spells and Charms to learn Alohamora and Wingardium Leviosa. After their classes are complete, it is off to Three Broomsticks for cake and Butterbeer (we decided on rootbeer floats as the kids did not enjoy the Butterbeer in WWoHP). They will then receive the graduation certificates and choose some Honeydukes treats with the rest of their galleons.

We are having a blast planning it. Just have to work out the Ollivander's thing. I like the idea of having a fan and light hooked up on a power strip that can be flipped on and off discreetly. I am just trying to figure out how to camouflage them. I am also thinking of using the blinking overhead light idea. She wants to use those snap pop things for when they choose the wrong wand but I am not sure. I think this could become very time consuming when we already have a lot to fit in.

Thanks for all the ideas!

 

[Cleo79]

I was looking through a library catalog for travel guides and found a book that looked interesting--The unofficial Harry Potter party book: from monster books to potions class!: crafts, games and treats by Jessica Fox. There were a couple of cookbooks too. Might be worth checking out.