I have many things I love about homeschooling, but the one that just might top my list is our read aloud adventures. Obviously you don’t have to homeschool to do this, but we’ve woven reading a book together into our days, and when we finish, we celebrate by throwing a watch party for the movie. Typically these are low key, with pajamas, popcorn, and a fun drink, but they always are an event we all look forward to.

We recently finished reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (illustrated edition). Y’all. That is a long book. We read the first three Harry Potters together, too, but this one takes the cake. The length, additional characters, and complexity was a lot for my six year old, but regardless, she, along with Hailey (8), l-o-v-e-d it. I knew we had to celebrate this one with a bit more flair!

I don’t consider myself to be all that great at themed parties, but I knew adding a few special items to surprise the girls with would go a long way. And I was right! We lucked out that Nana was in town this past Friday and got to take part in the celebration. In fact, she played upstairs with the girls while I put out the spread and the high pitched shrieks I heard as they came running down the stairs and saw the setup was just the absolute best.

We had root beer to stand in for Butter Beer, and all the candy Harry and his friends like to buy of the Hogwart’s Express trolley, too. Hailey was most excited for the chocolate frogs because they came with REAL wizarding cards. She now wants to collect them all. Both girls found the Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans absolutely hilarious. The first few they tried were all quite tasty, so I was surprised when my first one turned out to be EARWAX. See picture below for my reaction…

Before we watch a movie, I always have the girls fill out their favorite part in our Family Read Aloud Journal and it’s quickly becoming one of my favorite keepsakes from their childhood. A few of our favorite book/movie combinations have been Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and of course the Harry Potter books.

I’m linking all the items I bought below in case you want to create your own Harry Potter watch party. I highly recommend the sorting hat (it was a steal and the girls love it and are playing with it all the time) and the chocolate frogs. Oh fine, and the every flavor beans, too, I guess…

• Pop Rocks
• Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Bean
• Gummi Creatures
• Ticket to Hogwarts Chocolate Bar
• Chocolate Frog with Wizard Card
• Jelly Slugs
• Sorting Hat
• Harry Potter Glasses
• Plastic Star Tablecloth 

Any other Harry Potter fans out there? Which book is your favorite?

And if you love a good book/movie combo, too, which one has been your favorite?

We are currently reading The One and Only Ivan and plan to watch the movie on Disney+ afterwards!