I'm an elementary school teacher. I teach fifth grade.

This year, I'm putting together my classroom with a Harry Potter theme in mind. I always go above and beyond for my room, and I'm aiming to go further this year.

I'm coming to you for additional ideas. I've already combed the internet (mostly pinterest) for ideas, but this is obviously one of the greatest resources for HP knowledge.

Currently planned/made:
-Hogwarts/Hogsmeade sign in the vein of


-Bulletin boards wallpapered in 24 different daily prophets

More haphazardly and crooked, not blocked out like above

-Stuffed animal hedwig and owls a la that one chapter where hedwig helps carry errol with presents for Harry, to be hung from the ceiling.

-"potions" in some fun glass vials and beakers, might buy an etsy download of some labels to slap on

-Educational "decree" to list the rules out. I might slap together a wooden frame like the movies for these.


-Other portion of the bulletin boards with redbrick wallpaper

-Ferraro Rocher Golden Snitches


-Hanging keys from the ceiling:


-Whomping Willow made of butcher paper overhanging the class library. Will probably have "whomping willow word wall" in an HP font and if I can manage it, use the "branches" to hang vocab words

-Table points as house points:

This one I'd like some suggestions on as I want a way to get these on the wall, and I don't have any containers yet. I'd also use something like those glass bead decorative fillers as the actual points to track.

-Floo powder paper confetti to toss at kids because I'm a dick sometimes.

-One set of windows with these castle-cutouts (no READ lettering)

The other side of the room's windows covered in black butcher paper poked with holes to create a "starry night" kind of scene when we turn the lights off for the projector

-Something like this on one of the cabinets


-I doubt I'll have room to do this kind of display, but I will be creating these addressed envelopes for my kids for meet the teacher with my "about me" and welcome letter inside.



I have an HP "marauder's map" rug for the library and tapestries of the four houses

I have two really great random framed posters I found at homegoods, one of a stag and one of an owl


That I might bribe my art teacher to hand letter some HP quotes on to hang up.

I have seen some great downloadables on Etsy including some amazing HP watercolors.

Any other thoughts or suggestions? A lot of the ideas I've left off are difficult because of space in the classroom, everything needs to remain 2d and on the wall for the most part. I don't have a ton of shelf space or room for random things like an assortment of knickknacks on a shelf like a lot of HP themes end up having.

I would love any ideas or suggestions, preferably DIY-able, since I've already spent several hundred dollars. I'll probably end up sending a few hundred more. I generally use themes for 2 years and improve them the second year with light touchups, but this time I think I want this one to be a 3 year theme or more.
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Currently I'm working on the "acceptance letters".

I'm torn between just a straight up hogwarts letter with an additional welcome letter, or a hogwarts-styled welcome letter tailored for my classroom

 

This is great. Considering I discovered Harry Potter in my 4th grade, I would've loved to be in your class the following year! I don't have any suggestions in term of arts, but I was wondering if you were planning to use the Houses as some sort of competition within your class?

 

What about the Sorting Hat? You could also try to recreate candle lights? (Ninja'd)Try to include the remember-all. I know these are 3-D, but these should be easily(comparatively) done. Maybe a tapestry of Barnabas trying to teach the trolls to dance?(Impratical, but 2D).

EDIT: You missed out Leaky Cauldron! Maybe Ministry of Magic sign can be set up too?

EDIT 2: A lily in a bowl of water?(HBP) Be careful with the kids tho.

Hope you have a grand time with those lucky kids.

 

Thanks so much for all the ideas!

My campus is kind of like a motel, with all classrooms exiting to an outdoor courtyard, surrounded by security gates. It makes any type of outside door decoration difficult because of wind and rain destroying it rather quickly.

But I love the hanging brick entryway, as I can put that at the door that connects my classroom to the one next door. I'm limited in how much I can hang from the ceiling because the actual ceilings are 20+ ft high, but lighting/sprinklers hang down to normal height and I can't use them to support any weight (even paper decorations) because of school rules.

I have planned to include the leaky cauldron and the ministry on my sign. I will post the pictures when they are finished. Love the DH clock, super easy for me to make so I will definitely do so. Have the Lumos/Nox already made. I have some similar posters and banners, and I like the free dobby sign idea. I can probably whip that up pretty quickly. I like the mandrake/phoenix/bowtruckle ideas, but they all look a bit involved for me, unless you've found a different tutorial than I have.

I have 4 table groups and they will each get a 'house' and a 'prefect' and I want to utilize some sort of plexiglass container to keep track of their house points. I already utilize a table point system in my everyday classroom management, so this is just a direct port with a physical tracker instead of writing on the board.

Thanks for all the ideas, keep em coming if you think of anything else!

 

Hate to be a downer on this, as all the ideas above are fucking rad, but have you checked with admin about all this? I have a friend who put in a ton of work setting their class up HP style, only to have a parent or someone bitch about (religious grounds or something) it and they had to ditch it all. This was at a state school in Aus, so I can't imagine what the US would be like.

 

A lot of it depends on where he's teaching in Texas. I doubt there'd be any issues in any major city but a bumfuck elementary school in Fritch, TX or something, I wouldn't be surprised.

 

Have you considered implementing a series of extremely dangerous challenges for the students to undertake without supervision?

 

Will you use needles or razors in your detention quills?

 

Admin is aware TWT. And I'm in a major city.