Step 1: Welcome

Hang a brick fabric across a door or garage opening to welcome kids as they enter.

Cost here: $45

Step 2: Pizza

Potter Pizza is a hit if it's served in long table rows of tables like students at Hogwarts dine upon within the movie. Candles are a nice touch, too. Use some spare ones from your closet.

Cost here: $40

Step 3: Wands

Official Harry Potter wands and wand/glasses sets are available for purchase at many party supply stores for about $7/set. But if you want a custom-crafted wand experience and have someone handy with woodworking nearby, consider using a lathe and cutting individual wands from wooden dowels.

Spin the wands like a spin-the-bottle game with the children in a circle. When the wand stops spinning, it's pointing at a child. That's the way "the wand picks you" at tonight's party. Paint...and set aside to dry. We did a base coat of color ahead of time and then wrapped the wooden wands in a swirl of hot glue. Kids could smudge new paint on and/or carefully paint an accent color on the glue part of the wands for a personalized look.

Our wands shown here are 12" in length. That size allowed us to make three with buying one 36" wooden dowel from the hardware store.

Cost here: Depends on approach, estimate between $5-$7 per wand.

Step 4: Quidditch Match Up

Use a "sorting hat" stuffed with two different colors of bandanas and let the children divide into teams. Slide the bandanas around the neck and grab a broom. Organize your team and choose a seeker. Fly on your broom and toss your ball in a fun game.

Cost here: This is the spendy part of the entertainment, but many components can be kept and re-used. Brooms cost us about $70, bandanas about $15, hula-hoops and pvc pile about $15.

Bonus idea: Make a snitch! Click this video to see how create really cool winged ball of gold. We did this activity ahead of time and gave it to the kids as a party favor. Please note - it was quite time and effort intensive to do a number of these. But they are cool!

Step 5: Butter Beer Refreshment and Patronus Charm Creation

Whilst competitors are finishing up a rousing game, have someone inside the house be blending up root-beer and ice cream, topping with whipped cream and drizzle caramel into little glasses. That's a recipe we found via a newspaper for butter beer. Tired players can relax with a glass and then move onto making jeweled charms.

Cost here: You can either buy magnets or recover old magnets with construction paper and glue beads or sequins or other gems to the surface. We spent about $20 on assorted beads, magnets and fabric paint.

Break

Take a moment now to pick up your now-dry wands and take to class

Step 6: Defense Against the Dark Arts Class

With wands in hands, students are given a sheet of paper and asked to follow along for this classroom-type setting situation. One of the first things taught? What phrase scares away a Dementor!

During the lesson, have someone dress as a dementor and "interrupt" class. The teacher can prompt students to apply what they've learned...and then chase the poor dementor into the lawn and around the house before returning to class.

Cost here: Photocopying or print costs only. But the preparation work is a bit time-consuming. We crafted our lesson from a variety of links, provided below.

Step 7: Honeydukes

Instead of traditional birthday cake, have a Honeydukes candy bar extravaganza! Check out this video or picture to get some ideas on presentation.

Video: http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Honeydukes
Cost: About $25, depending on the candy you choose

Step 7: Potions

Dry ice and vinegar. Frozen tonic water cubes glow in black light. Dry ice "Stone of Cold Fire" or whatever you want to call it clanks against a stainless steel bowl. Dip your want in petroleum and see it glow under a black light when you utter a "magical" spell. Potions class is a fun way to wind out the party!

Cost: We spent about $25 on dry ice and other supplies

Lesson Plan Links

http://dadabasic.webs.com/final.htm
http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Patronus_Charm
http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Spell  (Spell Types)
http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Charm - (Charm Spells)
http://www.pojo.com/harrypotter/spelist.shtml  (Spell List)
http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Horcrux (Horcrux Details)
http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page (Harry Bio)