Magic is in the air! Join us for our favorite class at Hogwarts as we create fizzy, bubbling concoctions at Professor Snape’s Potions class. This is part three of our Harry Potter Party and will have your wizards squealing with delight! We’ve got lots of free printables to help you easily organize an awesome Harry Potter themed birthday party or activity, complete with video tutorials and step by step printable instructions for the science experiment activities.

Don’t forget to check out our other Harry Potter Party posts and download the free prints. We’ve broken it up into four parts because there’s so much content:

• Part 1 – Ollivanders Wand Shop
• Part 2 – Honeydukes Sweet Shop
• Part 3 – Professor Snape’s Potions Class
• Part 4 – Games (Quidditch and a few more!)

Printable Backdrop + Owls

Print off our 24×36” Potions Class backdrop (download for free at the bottom of the post) and leave it black and white or use it as a giant coloring page for guests to color throughout the party. We always set out crayons or markers for the kids to color during their down time. We print these as an engineer blueprint for $3 at our local print shop and love the size. They make a big impression and are inexpensive. We always add a pop of color with a DIY garland or balloon arch. To make a quick and easy garland, check out our tutorial here. Also print off multiple owls on cardstock. Use these to decorate around the different stations and even hang a few from the ceiling. These will also be used in the final post for super cool DIY party invites.

Potions with Labels

For this part of the Harry Potter Potions Class Science Experiment Activity you will need:

• Bottles, vases, and jars. We like to find various sizes and/or shapes.
• Our free labels that you can download at the bottom of this post. They add that extra touch and make your ordinary household potion products look magical!
• Vinegar (Veritaserum)
• Water dyed with red food coloring or whatever color you prefer (Dragon’s Blood)
• Baking soda / bicarbonate soda (Floo Powder)
• Cornstarch (Bezoar)
• Grass clippings (Gillyweed)
• Wildflowers (Baneberry)
• Glitter
• Foam balls
• Plastic spiders
• Bowls, cups, or snack size cups for each child to use for mixing ingredients in
• Spoons or popsicle sticks for stirring
• Droppers

Here’s a little tip for the labels; print them on regular paper and glue them on the jars with a glue stick. They peel right off and clean off easily with soap and water.

Potion #1 BUBBLING CONCOCTIONS

Let the kids get creative and concoct their own potions or make potions as a group. For this poriton of the Harry Potter science experiments we gave each child snack size cups and let them add baking soda/Floo Powder to each one. Make sure to call each ingredient by it’s magical name so the kids can get the full experience. Then have them choose their add-ins: glitter, foam balls, grass, wildflowers, spiders, etc. The more the merrier! Then comes the fun, magical part – let them add drops of vinegar / Veritaserum to their potions. They will love watching it react and bubble over. We let them make various potions by adding different add-ins each time and then changing how much floo powder and veritaserum they used.

Potion #2 SKELE-GRO OOBLEK

Potion #2 science experiment in Professor Snapes’ Potion class is neither a liquid or solid, but it has some of the characteristics of both states of matter so that makes it magical! For experiment potion #2 we made oobleck or what we called Skele-Gro. Skele-Gro was the dreadful tasting potion that helped fix Harry Potter’s broken bones. Our Skele-Gro potion flowed like thick paint when poured, but when you squeeze some oobleck in the palm of your hand it forms a tough glob.

To make Skele-Gro oobleck:

• Add 2 cups of cornstarch (Bezoar) to a bowl.
• Add 1 cup colored water (Dragon’s Blood).
• Sprinkle a dash of glitter magic.
• Mix with a spoon or popsicle stick until it forms Skele-Gro oobleck.
• Enjoy! It’s messy fun, so make sure to play with it outside or over a tablecloth.

Potion #3 COLOR CHANGE

Potion #3 was the most magical! This one takes a little bit more prep, but is totally worth it. Most of the items are ones you’ll already have on hand. Beware — it’s a little smelly, but such a cool activity!

Ingredients and supplies needed:

• Red cabbage
• Blender
• Strainer
• Clear plastic cups
• Water
• Bleach
• Vingear
• Lemon Juice
• Hand sanitizer
• Sugar solution
• Baking powder solution
• Sprite
• Spoon for stirring

Directions for making this magical potion science activity:

Step 1: Add red cabbage to the blender with some water and blend well.

Step 2: Pour the purplish cabbage liquid through a strainer to get out all the chunks and leave you a nice purple liquid. Put it in a jar and add our Spider Blood label.

Step 3: Prepare eight cups and fill each one half way with a different liquid: water, bleach, vinegar, lemon juice, hand sanitizer, sugar solution, baking powder solution, and sprite. You can also experiment and use any other liquids you have around the house. Get creative!

Step 4: Take your strained cabbage liquid (Spider Blood) and pour a small amount into each cup, stirring if needed. Go slowly and watch them magically change colors before your eyes! The kids will ooh and ahh as the magic happens!

Happy potion making wizards and muggles!

Stay tuned for our final post for a magical Harry Potter party your friends won’t soon forget! Part 4 will be our Harry Potter inspired games like Quidditch, Defense Against the Dark Arts game, and more. Our printables are always free, so check back often. We’ve got lots more parties and activity prints in the works.

We hope you have a magical and epic Harry Potter party! Please tag us on Instagram @thealohahut so we can see what you create.

From your wizard friends,

Stacey and Niki

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