The Harry Potter phase...

[Aloros]

My stepson-to-be (11) has recently discovered the wonderful world of Harry Potter. He''s almost finished with the second book.

Whereas before he used to swing around a lightsaber, he now swings around a stick (his wand). He writes up lists of spells with descriptions and the number of hypothetical points they''d take away from someone''s health. He drew a lightning bolt on his forehead. He talks to the cat, claiming he can turn him into a wizard (and I answer back in the cat''s voice that it is a BIG decision and he needs to sleep on it

). The time machine he was building in the garage lingers, forgotten.

I am getting the biggest kick out of this.

I''m sure some of you have kids who have gone through this phase. Any ideas for what I can do to extend the fun? I think this is a great opportunity to exercise creativity and maybe even learn something.

I''m thinking of giving him a big piece of paper he can draw a map on for his own school of witchcraft and wizardry. Also thinking of taking him to the local raptor rehabilitation center so he can check out the owls.

 

[fieryred33143]

OMG to have those days when you can just let your imagination run and have a blast doing so!

I don''t have any children but maybe you can do a harry potter marathon at home and invite some of his friends and they can each choose a character to portray. I''m sure there are other children into it. My brother is 19 and he and his friends are huge fans

.

Also, that''s great that he''s reading instead of just watching the movies.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

2nd to having friends over. Since my kids are at different reading levels, even though my 8 year old is reading HP 2 right now, his younger brother only knows the story from the first two movies and from those tidbits, they done tons of roll-playing of being Harry, Ron and Hermione (yes, I''m always stuck being her).

Possibly get him one of those robes that the students wear? That would be a fun way to enhance his costume AND also glasses.

Also, the map idea is great and maybe even a notepad for him to write down spells!

 

[Circe]

Fan fiction! You''ll want to proof it carefully before sending him onto the internet to search for himself (there''s a lot of stuff out there aimed at adult readers), but it''s a way to extend the fun of the universe once he''s finished the canon. Who knows, maybe he''ll get involved in writing down his own HP stories!

There are lots of nifty "props" out there - I particularly like the Noble Collection if you want to get him cool toys to go with his play.

And don''t forget the other, similar stories out there - Dianne Wynne Jones and Jane Yolen both have "wizard academy" type books that predate JKR, and Jonathan Stroud''s _Bartimaeus_ trilogy is one of my own current favorites in the classroom. All of this should be great fun for him!

 

[somethingshiny]

Let him make "potions" or make up a potion and he has to follow the instructions. Potion ingredients could be things he''ll eat like jell-o and crushed pineapple--then he''ll have a treat when he''s done. You can get online and find "potions" for making ink, bath salts (might be weird for a boy), old fashioned soda recipes, etc. Maybe he could make a timeline or something to indicate when HE became a wizard, like the funny things that he made happen and didn''t know it was magic. And, maybe make a "crystal ball" and look into it to predict his own future. (you could do this by looking up how to make a snow globe.)


sounds like fun to me.

The town my MIL works in actually has a HP weekend. She was Professor Umbridge at the store where she works. She wore a pink fuzzy sweater and everything. They close down the whole main street and all the little shops do it together. The kids come in droves! All with their robes, capes, and wands.

 

[pennquaker09]

If he has a bedroom there you could do a wizard themed bedroom or playroom. That would be so much fun.

 

[Aloros]

Thanks so much for the ideas!

fieryred - he''s seen all the movies so far, but he''s just now getting into the books. I kept telling him they were way better than the movies.

I think a marathon sounds like a great idea! Maybe we''ll watch a couple of the prior movies before the next one comes out.

MC - I think a gryffindor tie and robe might be fun, as well as those glasses. He goes to a school with a uniform policy, so he''s got half the costume already. I like the notepad idea too! I told him he should make up his own spells, but he hasn''t done much of that yet.

Circe - I''m so glad you suggested a couple similar books! I read the Jane Yolen one myself when I was a kid. It''ll be great to point him to when he''s finished all the Harry Potter ones. Hahahah...little hesitant on the fan fiction since I''ve seen some pretty horrible stuff, but I think my sister''s read a couple good ones. I''ll have to ask her.

somethingshiny - I love the idea of potions and the timeline! I''ll bet the timeline would go great right next to his little growth chart we keep in his room. He''d get such a kick out of it, too.

pennquaker09 - he lives with us 100% of the time, so the room idea is a good one! I think I''d want to do things that aren''t too permanent, because who knows how quickly he''ll change his mind! And honestly, I know he wants the wall color changed (it''s a smurf blue right now) but we just haven''t gotten around to it. He already told us that his room now has it''s own password, problem is, he himself can''t always remember it!

 

[Jas12]

haha--Is it pathetic that i am still in this phase ??

actually, just last night i was in bed reading some financial planning book and i complained to my DH that i had nothing fun left to read. He then ran downstairs to "get a glass of water'' and returned to secretly slip a copy of "The tales of beedle the bard" --the new JK Rowling offshoot from the HP series. --under the comforter

(he had forgotten to put it in my stocking at xmas) . I feel like a kid again when i read her books--they are a wonderful to way to get kids (and adults) to read.

The new movie comes out in June i believe, maybe he could start working on a costume for that occasion!? So many adults, teens, kiddies wear something to the theater--it''s so festive and cute.