Your cart is currently empty!
Harry Potter: A Family Adventure Worth Sharing with Our 7-Year-Old
“Expelliarmus!” my 7-year-old exclaims.
“Expelliarmus!” his younger brother chimes in, both of them brandishing imaginary wands and hurling fake spells. While the 5-year-old’s spells are purely figments of his imagination, the 7-year-old, Ethan, is well-versed in the wizarding world. He’s devoured all seven Harry Potter books and seen all eight films. This kid knows his magical incantations!
Most kids his age might only tackle the first or second book in the series. After that, there’s debate over whether the themes become too dark or complicated. Time-turners, wizard prisons, and soul-sucking creatures appear early on in Prisoner of Azkaban, and it only gets grimmer from there—with character deaths and the heavy presence of true evil. Not exactly bedtime story material for a 7-year-old.
But we didn’t mind. The allure of the Harry Potter series was too compelling for our family to resist sharing with our children, even if it meant exposing them to a bit of wizarding peril. We started with the first book, and Ethan was instantly hooked: Wizards, wands, three-headed dogs, and a magical castle fueled his imagination. We even bought him a Gryffindor robe and a plush snowy owl. He dressed up as Harry Potter for Halloween, complete with a drawn-on scar and, of course, a wand.
Harry Potter ignited his imagination from the get-go and continues to do so through the final book, which—spoiler alert—features a dragon heist at a wizarding bank and the climactic defeat of Lord Voldemort. He talks about the series constantly, proudly wearing the Gryffindor hat and scarf that his dad gifted him for Christmas. He’s invented his own spells, like “foglio,” which creates a fog around a person’s head, making it impossible to aim a jinx at them. When he visits friends, they play Harry Potter—even if the only Death Eaters around are younger brothers pretending to be pirates.
Beyond imaginative play, Harry Potter has sparked meaningful conversations. Listening to the audiobooks together during car rides opened the door to discussions about friendship—like the dynamics between Harry, Hermione, and Ron, where they sometimes support each other (good!) and sometimes bicker (bad!). We dissected Ron’s decisions during pivotal moments, like when Harry’s name unexpectedly appears from the Goblet of Fire.
The series has also provided a platform for discussing authority figures and moral complexities. Dumbledore raises Harry with the knowledge that he may have to sacrifice himself for the greater good. We pondered the ethics of that decision and how it impacted Harry’s emotions. Although Ethan struggled with the idea that it all turns out fine because Voldemort is defeated, we planted the seeds for deeper understanding. The character of Dolores Umbridge spurred discussions about power and morality—just because someone has authority doesn’t mean they are right.
In a way, you could argue that Harry Potter reflects a fight against various forms of authoritarianism: the pureblood supremacy of Voldemort, the incompetence of Cornelius Fudge, and the oppressive sweetness of Umbridge. The lessons are endless and depend on how deeply one wants to analyze the text.
So, we watch the movies, read the books, and wave around our pretend wands. I even use mine to jokingly cast “Evanesco!” when I want them to tidy up their rooms. We debate which Hogwarts house each person belongs to (my middle son is adamant he’s a Slytherin) and construct elaborate Lego scenes inspired by the books. Just the other day, they built a Lego Hogwarts, complete with a potions lab and astronomy tower.
Most importantly, Harry Potter has become a family touchstone. It’s a shared experience that fosters connection and conversation. Sure, we’ve lost some beloved characters along the way, but in the end, Harry triumphed—good defeated evil. And that’s a lesson I’m thrilled to pass on.
For more insights and resources related to family and parenting, check out this post. It’s a fantastic way to explore a variety of family-building options, including those discussed in this excellent resource.
Summary
The article highlights the author’s experience sharing the Harry Potter series with their 7-year-old son, Ethan. It discusses the imaginative play inspired by the books, the meaningful conversations around friendship and authority, and the lessons learned about good versus evil. Ultimately, the series has created a strong family bond through shared experiences.