Christmas
Epic Harry Potter Scavenger Hunt and Party Games
Planning a Harry Potter Scavenger hunt and party games for older teens and young adults was a bit of a challenge because most party suggestions out there are geared toward younger kids.
I had to come up with active games to keep everyone engaged and off their phones (except for taking pictures, of course).
So the main activity of our Harry Potter birthday party ended up being an epic scavenger hunt that had everyone running around like crazy while having to use their brains!
We also played a shortened version of Quidditch in the backyard and even whacked a piñata.
I truly believe that games and activities are an essential part of any birthday party, and they’re a key part of my Secret 3 Step Formula for an epic party.
Let’s dive into the magical fun we had!
| Contents |
|---|
The Hat Sorting Ceremony
My girls said we had to do it! So my husband and I dressed up as well as we could and hosted a hat sorting ceremony.
Each “kid” was assigned a Hogwarts house and given a lanyard with their house crest. My girls had chosen all the teams ahead of time. I found the House Crests for free here but I know they come from Deviant Art. I just couldn’t find the original designer.
But I added these badges to my Free Downloads Library for you to use.
My husband is a goofball and had a good time mimicking the hat’s voice. And I sported an English accent for the whole party time.
Now that everyone had their team and their lanyard, it was time to start playing some games.
The Owlery Game
Materials: About 3 dozen balloons, 2 laundry baskets of the same size, and chopsticks.
Goal: To get as many balloon owls in your team’s owlery (basket) in one minute only touching them with the wand (chopstick).
Rules: We played with teams of 3. No kicking or touching the balloons with anything else but the wand. No tipping the opposite team’s basket over. We did allow removing the balloons from the opposite team’s basket, which made for an interesting game that got a bit physical with a bunch of young adults.
Warning: For this game, we drew owl faces on dozens of white balloons. They were super cute but most popped as soon as they hit the grass!!!! We had to quickly blow a bunch of random colored balloons to be able to play the game. So keep in mind to not blow the balloons too big especially if playing on recently mowed grass.
You’ll also love:
Quidditch (kind of)
Even though our version of Quidditch was played with a balloon and beach balls, I did not realize how physical Quidditch could get! So be warned. The guests had a blast though.
Materials:
- 6 Quidditch hoops at different heights
- 1 partially inflated 11″ balloon (the Quaffle)
- 2 beach balls (The Bludgers)
- Brooms for all the players
How we played Quidditch:
We had four teams of three, much less than the 7 players required per team, so we chose to skip the golden snitch part. It’s funny how in England, a guy comes onto the field at the end with a ball attached to his waist that players try to catch, but that seemed a bit much for us.
For our “brooms,” we cut pool noodles in half and spray-painted them (though we probably didn’t need to). Then we taped strips of cut-up kraft paper to one end.
Straddling a broom, each team had to try to get the Quaffle balloon through the other team’s hoops as many times as they could in one minute.
One minute was plenty of time for at least one team to score, with the teens knocking each other down with the beach balls.
We started the game in the middle of the “field” with one player from each team. I launched the balloon that served as our Quaffle up in the air and quickly got out of the way.
We played Gryffindor against Slytherin and Hufflepuff against Ravenclaw. Then, the winners of each game faced off, which ended up being Slytherin and Ravenclaw.
Our game of Quidditch was a huge success! The teens had a blast, and the great thing about using a balloon as the Quaffle was that we didn’t care if it ended up in the neighbor’s yard.
The light and bouncy balloon made the game even more fun and kept everyone laughing and engaged.
It was the perfect solution for a backyard Quidditch match!
Our Harry Potter Scavenger Hunt Setup
The “piece de resistance” for all of our recent parties has become a scavenger hunt. My husband and I have now become pretty good at planning active scavenger hunts.
The kids aren’t kids anymore, so we wanted to make things a bit challenging while still keeping it fun and active.
A couple of the teams breezed through the challenges. But some of our guests’ really struggled. We’d tell them “Read. The. Clue.” and they’d skim over it and then sprint off in the wrong direction.
Setting up a Scavenger Hunt for multiple teams
Over the years, we’ve figured out a great way to set up scavenger hunts for multiple teams.
You’ll need at least as many challenges as there are teams. Start each team at a different challenge station, and then have them rotate through all the challenges, ending up at the same final point.
Since the challenges are all the same, add a note to each clue card saying, “If you’ve already been to the next station, go directly to the ‘last location.'”
This keeps everyone on track and ensures the hunt runs smoothly.
The see more examples of how we set up a scavenger hunt for multiple teams, go check out our Amazing Race or Hunger Games scavenger hunts.
You’ll also love:
The Main Setup
The goal was to follow clues and find the stolen dragon’s eggs.
These were the eggs they had to find! Yes, they’re just plastic Easter eggs. I wished I had made them more like dragon eggs but I just ran out of time.
We had 4 rotating stations and 2 final challenges. Each location was indicated on the map.
The locations were:
- The Whomping Willow
- Honeydukes
- The Vine Tree
- Potions Class
- The Forbidden Forest
- The Dragon’s Lair
Each team was given:
- A map of the game area
- A pencil (I used the wand pencils for an extra magical touch)
- The name of their first location
Each challenge station had:
- An envelope for each team with instructions.
- A puzzle-type challenge to solve to get to the next location.
- A paper with encrypted text to keep and solve at the last challenge location to find the egg’s hiding spot. Most stations had a color-coordinated envelope with the encrypted text inside.
How I Made the Encrypted Text Clues and Printables
I wish I had had time to make my own cipher and give it out to all of you but instead, I bought this wonderful Wizard Treasure Hunt set from Lock Paper Escape and cannibalized it.
I made the encrypted text by manipulating one of the ciphers in Photoshop.
As the last clue, the teams received the cipher from the set to decrypt the text.
I also used the printable flying keys, the Potions class cipher and labels, and the jelly beans cipher from the same set. Her printables were great and saved me a ton of time.
I designed the template for the clues to look like an old scroll and have them available for you to edit with your own clues in my Free Downloads Library.
The Scavenger Hunt Map
Since this was a Harry Potter themed party, the map had to be inspired by the Marauder’s map.
I found this homemade letter-sized marauder’s map on Britta Blvd and loved it. Of course, I had to erase the center of the map and draw my own for our house and area, but the way she cut and folded the map gave it an authentic look.
The map was the sticking point for a few teams. The script was challenging to read and you really had to look carefully to identify local landmarks and orient yourself. In hindsight, I should have spent a bit more time and effort on it, but I think it’s OK that a party includes a bit of thinking!
You can download her instructions on how to cut and fold the map on Britta Blvd, but I have the blank template in my Free Downloads Library ready for you to draw your masterpiece.
You’ll also love:
The Story to Start the Game
Every scavenger hunt needs a good story. Ours was that each house was to find a stolen dragon’s egg. This is the script we used:
Hagrid was keeping one special dragon egg for each house.
They have been stolen and must quickly be found and returned. You and your team will complete tasks to collect encrypted clues that will lead you to the precious eggs.
Read the clues carefully, complete the tasks quickly and your team will beat the others and return your team’s egg to its rightful place.
At this point, I handed out an envelope to each team sending them to a different challenge each.
The Scavenger Hunt Challenges
The Whomping Willow
Materials Used
- A climbing tree
- Flying keys with random letters and 5 black keys with the letters D, U, K, E. S
- Fishing line
- 2 pool noodles
- Colored paper for each team with the encrypted text
- Envelope and clue
- A willing family member with the clue envelopes
The Setup
We hung printed flying keys all around the base of the tree with fishing line. The clue was in an envelope they got from my brother-in-law (who was in town with my sister from France), who then proceeded to gently whack them with pool noodles while declaring, “I am ze willow!” in a really strong French accent. It was absolutely hilarious!
The Clue
Up above are flying keys,
But watch yourself with this whomping tree.
Not all have use,
It’s the dark you’ll need.
Spell a location
And then proceeded.
Don’t mash or crush or take the keys
We’d like them to remain there, please.
An encrypted clue is also here,
But you’re going to have to climb my dear.
The coded clue, it’s yours to take,
Your special scavenger hunt keepsake.
Finding the Solution
Each team climbed the tree to collect the cyphered text for their team.
The black keys spelled “DUKES” which was the next location they were supposed to go to:
Honeydukes
Located in a neighbor’s front yard, I thought I had made the location easy to find with the Honeydukes sign and banner. But no, most went up and down the street several times not looking up or left or right. They entirely missed both the sign and the banner.
Materials used
- Honeydukes sign (From Google images)
- 4 mini Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans boxes (printed at 50%)
- Jelly Beans (Each box had 5 white beans, 3 blue beans, 9 red beans, and 7 green beans)
- 4 numbered locks
- 4 pieces of paper with encrypted text and clue to the next location
- Jelly bean cipher
- Envelope and clue
The Setup
When a new team arrived, each team found an envelope containing the clue and a jelly bean cipher, a lock with a piece of paper, and a jelly beans box.
The Clue
Roses are red, violets are blue.
Some Jelly Belly’s taste like poo.
But these sweet treats contain a clue.
Organization’s what’s required of you.
First white then blue then red and green.
Count the number, each colored bean.
That combination to the lock,
You’ve overcome one more roadblock.
But rip the page like ogres do?
Disqualify your team and you.
Solve the spinning puzzle next,
and take this task’s encrypted text.
This challenge might, of course, be cursed,
So the order just might be reversed.
Finding the Solution
Each team had to open their box of jelly beans and count how many red, white, green, and blue beans there were. The clue gave them the order (which had to be reversed) and those numbers opened the lock which had the name of the next location in a jelly bean code (for which they had the cipher) and the ciphered text to collect.
The jelly bean code sent them to Potions Class
Potions Class
Materials Used
- A clear bottle
- Orange Juice
- A label with encrypted text behind it
- A potion cipher
- A bunch of potion bottles
- Labels with specific numbers on them
- Envelope and clue
The Setup
I placed the pumpkin juice label on the clear bottle and filled it with orange juice.
I printed 5 labels with specific numbers on them to give the clue to the next location with the Potions Class cipher and instructions that were also in the clue envelope: “Find the five potions. Their numbers reveal the next location”.
The clue
The day is hot, solar abuse.
So drink a jar of Pumpkin Juice.
The other card has instructions too,
Follow those and off with you.
Finding the Solution
Once the teams drank the “Pumpkin Juice” the back side of the label, the side adhered to the glass, revealed the next encrypted text.
Each team had to also examine the potion bottles on the dessert table to find the 5 numbers that corresponded to letters on the Potions class cipher. The next location was “VINES”
The Vines
Materials Used
- 4 rolls of green streamers
- Colored paper for each team with the encrypted text
- Envelope and clue
The Setup
We pulled out the center of a roll of streamers and wrote the words WILLOW in permanent marker and then re-rolled the streamer.
We chose a tree on one of the paseos that had vines going all around it and wrapped a ribbon with the colors of the 4 houses around it.
We placed all 4 streamers and clue envelopes in a box behind the tree and placed the encrypted text with colored paper under a bush in front of the tree.
The Clue
You’ve worked hard.
You’ve searched with care.
One member’s now caught
In the Devil’s snare.
Wrap all its length ‘round one you say?
It must remain for the rest of the day.
Legs can be free so they can run.
A headfirst fall would not be fun.
But as you helped your ensnared ‘mate,
On the stone you laid prostrate.
And there you saw hid in the green,
Encrypted clues not previously seen.
Finding the Solution
Each team had to wrap one team member in the green streamer. Once they were done they would see the words WILLOW at the end and know to go to the Willow.
Since every clue had this text at the bottom: “If you’ve already been to the next location, make your way to the forbidden forest.” When the teams completed the rotation, they all went to the Forbidden Forest.
The Forbidden Forest
Materials Used
- 4 large clear paint drop cloths
- A full laundry basket full of cut-up plastic tablecloths of different colors
- 4 rolls of packaging tape
- A willing family member
- Envelope and clue
The Setup
The Forbidden Forest was our local park, just around the corner from our house. I posted my sister on a bench to give out the clues and make sure the teams were doing the task correctly.
The Clue
Invisibility cloak for you
It works, but not so well, it’s true
Add camouflage for best effect
Or all your efforts might be wrecked
Five minutes on your timer set,
Sorry, that’s all the time you get.
And when you’re done, to the Dragon’s Lair
But watch yourselves and please take care
All your team under cloak remain
Covered to the knees under risk of pain
Past the Dragon all of you
And there may be another clue
Finding the Solution
The teams had to create an invisibility cloak that would be good enough to pass by the dragon unnoticed.
I was the dragon!
That’s right, I quickly donned my daughter’s dragon onesie and set myself at our backyard gate. If the teams had read the instructions correctly, had made a good invisibility cloak, and were all under it walking in unison, I would let them pass. If not, I stopped them.
One girl ran ahead and quickly passed by me so her team showed up without her under the cloak so I wouldn’t let them pass. The other girls were screaming at her to get back! It was pretty comical.
It was getting dark by this time so this is my best picture of the invisibility cloaks.
The Dragon’s Lair
Material Used
- The cipher for the encrypted text wrapped in colored paper for each team
The Setup
The dragon’s lair was our trampoline, where we placed the final encrypted text and cipher in the net. The teams had to pass by the dragon (me) while under their invisibility cloaks.
Finding the Solution
The teams had to use the cipher found in the Dragon’s lair to decrypt all the encrypted clues they had collected along the way. The decrypted text in the right order was “SHRIEKING SHACK BOX FOR LETTERS”
The Shrieking Shack was on the map and is an old playhouse in our yard with a mailbox in the front of it. All 4 eggs were in the mailbox!
Ravenclaw was the winning team with Hufflepuff not far behind. Slytherin barely made 3rd place in front of Gryffindor in last place.
Here’s a picture of the winning team! Needless to say, they were excited!
The Piñata
Even though it was now pretty dark, the guests insisted on whacking the golden snitch piñata we made. Some may have felt a bit too old for it but quickly warmed up to the idea when they saw their friends having fun.
And they all ran for the candy! Proof that you’re never too old for a piñata.
Wrapping up our Harry Potter scavenger hunt and games, I have to say, the young adults had an absolute blast! From our Quidditch match to the owlery game and the epic scavenger hunt, everyone was fully engaged and having a great time.
As parents, we shouldn’t be afraid to dive into the fun ourselves, Heck, I dressed up like a dragon! I hope you got some great ideas for activities for your own Harry Potter party.
And don’t forget to check out my party planner, which makes keeping track of all the moving parts of a party so much simpler.
All Harry Potter Party Posts:
Share these Harry Potter Scavenger Hunt and Games Ideas:
Get Your Freebies:
If you’ve already subscribed, you can get the password from the bottom of any email I send and go directly to the Free Downloads Library.
Picked for you:
Check out our Wizard printables
