Christmas and Winter Holidays Gift Ideas for Kids Who Like the Harry Potter Stories

The Harry Potter series of books and movies may seem like a strange choice for Christmas and winter holiday gifts for kids who are fans of the stories. Yet, Christmas and winter holidays play important roles in the films. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the ancient stone castle housing Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry displays Christmas decorations, and the pupils are offered a Christmas break.

Older elementary school-aged kids and young tweens may enjoy a theme gift from the series, whether it be a variety of wands or Hermoine Granger's Time Turner.

The selection of wands is staggering. Hermoine's, Harry's and Ron's wands start at $35.00. Dumbledore and He Who Must Not Be Named also have wands at this price. Ron's sister, Jenny, and their friend Luna have wands that run about $28.50. Hermoine's measures about 14 inches. When kids wave the wand, it lights up; another wave turns it off. Be sure to purchase at least two AAA batteries. Some parents report that the wand works best with the strongest Lithium batteries.

Many Harry Potter items appear in The Nobel Collection: Product Catalog.
For Christmas 2011, the site advises placing orders on or before Sunday, December 18th, by 11:00 PM, Pacific Time. Check out other sites such as Barnes and Nobel for additional pricing info.

If the price of the wands or Time Turner is too steep, then consider ways to improvise. For younger kids who haven't seen the catalog Time Turner, a pretty pendant or necklace in a pretty box, and wrapped in nice paper, offers an inexpensive alternative. The pendant shown below has the same swirly features as the catalog Time Turner, but only cost $1 at a local thrift store. The box came from another thrift store.

The Internet also abounds with directions for homemade wands. You can make them using only a piece of wood, several sheets of computer paper, a glue gun, and paints.
Another homemade wand lights up in the video Hermoine Granger Light Up Wand (Homemade).
Another set of directions skips the wood and uses computer paper and a glue gun with paint.
Options include an electric switch and wire hidden under decoration to power an LED light on the end of the wand. As with any project, plan ahead and assemble supplies. Make these as Christmas and holiday presents. Or, use these as Christmas break projects for kids home from school and wondering what to do. For ideas about wands, Time Turners, jewelry, bookmarks, and other items, see The Nobel Collection site.