The children in School-age 3 are always talking about Harry Potter. Sometimes they simply discuss the characters, and the books and movies. Other times, the children are re-enacting spells and scenes. The spells are actually a big interest with the children as they learn how to properly say the name of them and meaning behind them.
As a way to enhance this ever-growing interest we made our own wands to use, either in the program room together in our dramatic play, or at home. Using thick wooden dowels and hot glue, the children were able to design their own wands. Before they were able to use the hot glue gun, however, they were reminded about safety rules- the main rules they needed to know were 'do not touch the barrel' 'do not touch the nozzle' and 'do not touch the glue as it comes out'- why? because all of these areas are hot and will cause burns! Each child agreed they understood the rules, and then was able to get started.
Some children designed their wand to look like certain characters- Hermione Granger's wand, for example, has a vine design along the wand, so the children moved the glue gun around and around to mimic this design. Others chose to create dots, resembling the Elder Wand. Reference pictures were brought up on the iPad for those who wanted to see them, but most of the children designed their wand using their own imagination and inspiration.
Once the designs were finished, the wands had to be set aside to dry- luckily, hot glue doesn't actually take that long to dry, and the children were quickly able to continue their wand making process. Using paint and glue, along with some glitter, the children were able to decorate their wand designs to individualize them further. It was suggested that they paint them brown first, to resemble the wands found in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, however the children were granted creative freedom to make their wands look however they pleased. Sairen, for example, chose to simply make her wand shine using the silver sparkles only, while Kylah chose to paint hers purely brown. Elowyn, meanwhile, made hers an assortment of colours.
The final step to our wand making process was the handle. It was recommended that the children leave a few inches of space near the end of the wand in order for a decorative grip to be added as a handle. Most chose to do this, and once the paint had dried on their wand, it was time to choose their grip colour. An assortment of decorative tape was laid out, some were glittery while others were patterned. Each child was able to choose one and we wrapped the end of their wand up, securing it with some clear tape to make sure it stuck. Finally, their wand was completed.
In the world of Harry Potter, they say 'The wand chooses the wizard', but in our case, the wizard designed the wand. Each child walked away with their own uniquely designed wand that allowed them to go forth and cast some spells on their peers. We saw the children begin in engage in dramatic play using their wands to enhance their experience, challenging each other to a magical duel, and practicing their 'foolish wand waving and silly incantations' in the class. Perhaps this will result in some of the children receiving their Hogwarts letters when they turn eleven- at least they'll already have their wands at the ready if they do!
