6 Essential Harry Potter Party Ideas

Whether you have a child who dreams of receiving a letter to Hogwarts, or you’re a devoted Harry Potter fan yourself, throwing a Harry Potter party is a great chance to step into a world of magic.

Here at PartyWorld, we’ve got a fabulous range of Harry Potter partyware and costumes to ensure that you can really get into the spirit of the celebration, and we’ve put together some super party ideas to get you started with the party planning. From Harry Potter games to party favours, and all the food inspiration you’ll need, read on for our guide to the perfect Harry Potter party.

1. START WITH INVITATIONS

When you’re planning a party, the first thing to think about is the invitations. Once you’ve narrowed down your guest list, it’s time to send out your invites and you can take the opportunity to set the theme right from the beginning.

We’ve got exciting Harry Potter Invites, complete with Hogwarts crest, and you could go the whole hog and finish them off with a real wax seal to add a touch of authenticity! Delivering your invitations by owl post might not be a practical option, but your guests will be delighted to open their personal invites and anticipate all the magical details of the party ahead.

2. DECORATE YOUR SPACE

Next, it’s time to consider your decorations. Whether you’re transforming your home into Hogwarts Castle or simply adding some extra touches to create a magical atmosphere in your venue, you’ll love our Harry Potter party decoration ideas.

To take the stress out of decorating for your party, we’ve created a Harry Potter Decorating Kit that you and your guests will love. It includes mini Honeycomb Decorations, Hanging Swirl decorations and a flag banner, and you could combine it with our Hollywood Starry Night Roll on your ceiling to create the perfect Great Hall night sky atmosphere.

Our Harry Potter Party Banner is a great value decoration that sets the scene for your party, with a 6ft display including the colours of all the Hogwarts houses. You could string it up across your doorway, above your party food table, or even above a sorting hat where each guest can discover if he or she is a Gryffindor, a Ravenclaw, a Hufflepuff or a Slytherin at heart.

3. PLAN YOUR PARTY FOOD

When you’re planning a party of any kind, the food you provide for your guests will be a major consideration. Of course, you’ll have to consider dietary needs and whether you have enough for the number of guests at your celebration, but it can be fun to theme your food around the party theme, too.

A magical touch can make your party food extra special when you’re throwing a Harry Potter party. You could use the characters in the stories to make everyday items more exciting with some descriptive labelling, such as ‘Peeves’ Pizza’, ‘Ginny’s Jelly’ and ‘Snape’s Sausage Rolls’, for example, as well as attempting some more magical treats.

When you’re creating sweet treats, you can take your lead from the books and create a Honeyduke’s display. Jelly Beans make an excellent substitute for Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans - and they taste much better, too! You can buy chocolate frogs, or make your own with a chocolate mould. Adding food colouring to a jug of juice or squash will create a drink ‘potion’ for your guests, or you could even have a go at creating your own butter beer. There are many simple recipes online, so try a few and choose your favourite before you brew up a batch.

Whatever you choose to serve at your party, you can be sure that great party ware will add to the atmosphere and enhance your table. We’ve got an extensive range of Harry Potter Party Plates, Napkins and Cups along with a Harry Potter Tablecover that will get you all in the mood for a magical feast. You can get everything you need at once when you order our Harry Potter Party Bundle, which contains all of the above, along with invitations, party bags and a decorating kit, and you could even eat by candlelight for a super special touch.

4. CHOOSE YOUR COSTUME

If you love themed parties, you probably know how much difference a fabulous costume can make. Getting into character for a Harry Potter party can be as simple as ordering yourself a Wizard Cloak and a Harry Potter Accessory Kit from PartyWorld. You could also try making your own Wizard Wand, simply using a willow or hazel stick, or even an old chopstick, and getting creative with the glue gun and some acrylic paint. This is a great activity to do with older children, who could even make their own wands during the party, or you could prepare a bundle of wands beforehand and give these out or add them to party bags for your guests to enjoy.

5. PICK SOME ACTIVITIES

With so many inspiring ideas, it can be hard to narrow down the activities for your party. Quidditch is a popular choice, especially at children’s parties, and it can be a great way to burn off some of that party energy! As you’re unlikely to possess flying broomsticks, it’s necessary to make some adjustments to the rules, but with a couple of basketballs, a tennis ball and some scoring hoops, you’ll be able to create a game that is great fun for everyone. You can use sticks as broomsticks, or invite each guests to make his or her own broomstick with a thick hazel or willow stick, using elastic bands or gardeners twine to tie plenty of birch twigs onto one end. You’ll be amazed at how much children will enjoy playing at their favourite magical game!

Wand Making, as mentioned above, is another great activity for a Harry Potter party, and most children will also love the opportunity to make potions. You can create an activity table that allows kids to combine ingredients to create potions - which can be edible or even suitable for use in the bath if you wish - and they’ll all enjoy creating their own mixtures and labelling them in their own style. If you’re keen to create an authentic experience, you could even enlist the help of a scary adult friend to make an appearance as the terrifying Professor Snape!

If you’re short of time, don’t worry. The party activities you choose don’t have have to be complicated and with a bit of imagination, even the simplest options can tie in with your theme. Try a game of Musical Statues where the children have to freeze in place when you shout ‘Stupefy!’, or pick up a large garden chess set and watch as the children immerse themselves in Wizard Chess. Hunt the Snitch is another excellent way to run off some excitement, and when you stick small white paper wings onto gold-wrapped chocolates, you’ll have a perfect horde of snitches ready for your small guests to find.

6. SELECT SOME PARTY FAVOURS

Party favours are a special reminder of a great party, and you can finish off your party in style with a Harry Potter themed gift to give your guests as they leave. You can create the perfect take-home gift when you fill Harry Potter Party Bags with some delicious Honeydukes-inspired sweets, and top each one with a pair of Harry Potter Novelty Glasses or an individual magic wand.

When you need Harry Potter Party Supplies, we are here to help! We have party supplies for a wide range of parties and themes, and an excellent choice of fancy dress costumes so that you can get into the mood for a celebration. All orders made before 3.30 pm will receive next working day delivery, and you can enjoy free delivery when you spend €45 or more at PartyWorld.