Given that Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published in 1997, most kids who’ve grown up with it now have children of their own. The magic of this timeless franchise has crossed over through many generations, and if you want to introduce your kid to the wonders of this beautiful fantasy world, we’re here to give you a few tips.
Bedtime Stories
Even though Harry Potter movies are remarkably well-produced, the books are far more detailed. If the film directors wanted to recreate all of the events in each book, the movies would’ve been substantially longer.
Before setting up the board game table and switching Netflix on, it’s recommended to read Harry Potter to children so that they can be more familiar with the vast world of Hogwarts. Since the books are fairly long reads, even a few passages may grab your child’s attention.
The Harry Potter Marathon
What speaks volumes about the quality of the Harry Potter franchise is the fact that people of all ages are still taking the infamous HP marathons. Essentially, all seven movies are supposed to be watched back-to-back in order, which takes roughly 19.65 hours.
Obviously, given that this endeavor will leave you with very little time to eat or sleep, it’s best to schedule the marathon for the weekend and divide it in two – the first four movies for Saturday, and the remaining three for Sunday.
Watching Harry Potter movies in succession is a unique dimension to the experience, as you and your children will get to feel as the characters grow older and become more personally involved in the films.
Even if you’ve watched each movie countless times already, the producers of the franchise enriched it with so many details, that you’ll find out something new each time. If your kids never watched any Harry Potter movies before, they will naturally be eager for the next as soon as you’re done with one.
Harry Potter Cinema
Watching movies at home is great, but watching them on a big cinema screen is the proper way to do it. The better resolution of both sound and picture offers a unique way to experience the magical world of Hogwarts and its students, so consider taking your family on a cinema trip.
Subjects and Classes
Given that Hogwarts is a school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the classes are obviously much different from the ones that our students are taking. Each subject taught at Hogwarts could be a franchise of itself, and the kids simply love how they’re described in both books and movies.
Even though they are very different from the actual school subjects, the classes Harry Potter is taking across the 7 books and films can be brought close to the real world with some imagination and creativity.
You can take the opportunity to add a bit of an educational note to the family HP events. For instance, Potions and Herbology can be linked to Natural Science; History of Magic can be linked to actual history lessons; Astronomy is essentially Astrology baked with fantasy powder while Care of Magical Creatures can include all animal-related topics.
Harry Potter House Quiz
One of the most iconic scenes in the entire HP franchise is the appointment of students to the four houses of Hogwarts – Griffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. The Harry Potter house quiz is meant to fulfill the role of the Sorting Hat, as it will help your child find out in which house of magic it belongs to.
The quizzes are typically tailored for students that are roughly Harry’s age, although it can be a tremendously fun family activity.
HP-themed candies
Another highlight of the Harry Potter franchise is the unique assortment of snacks and candies that the witches and wizards are nibbling on throughout the series. From Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans and Fudge Flies, over Cockroach Clusters and Sugar Quills, to Toothflossing Stringmints and Cauldron Cakes, you can be sure that your child will want to know more about where these delicacies came from.
A Wealthy Lore of Characters
The magical world of Harry Potter is absolutely massive, and your child may find it challenging to memorize all of the characters, their roles, and their relationships.
The main protagonist trio comprised of Harry, Ron, and Hermione encounters numerous friends and foes, whose roles are developing as the story progresses. If you want your child to hop onto the Harry Potter bandwagon, you may want to re-read the books and remind yourself how the characters interact.
Harry Potter Board Games
Hundreds of different Harry Potter board games exist, including themed adaptations of established games such as Monopoly, Risk, and Cluedo, as well as unique Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle, Quidditch, and such.
While the movies are fun and exceptionally engaging, board games are more interactive and tend to hold the attention of children a bit better. For instance, a great way to introduce the Harry Potter world to a child who is already familiar with the basics of Monopoly is to buy a HP-themed version of the game. The rules are the same while the graphics will certainly spark some interest.
Harry Potter LEGO
Toddlers and younger children may be scared of the dementors, the death eaters, and the marvelously depicted villains in the franchise, in which case it may be better to introduce the series with toys – LEGO blocks in particular.
The blocks can be matched to various pieces, and most bundles also feature app-based games that families can play together. Harry Potter-themed toys are also great alternatives.
Harry Potter Video Games
Kid gamers who may not be too keen on taking the marathon may be persuaded to do so after playing a couple of Harry Potter-themed video games. Fortunately, each movie features a corresponding video game adaptation, although the earlier games may be a bit outdated in terms of graphics. The gameplay of each game is phenomenal and respectful of the events taking part in the movies.
We hope that this rundown was useful to you and that you have learned something new today on how to introduce your kid to the magical world of Harry Potter. Make sure you are staying safe in these times we are all going through and have a good one, guys!
