This Harry Potter Boggart activity is a fun way for your child to learn steps that help them conquer fears and defeat their worries.
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (the third book of the series), Hogwarts has a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin, and their assignment, with guidance, is to defeat the boggart that has found safe harbor in a wardrobe.
A boggart is a shape-shifting creature that takes the shape of whatever it thinks will be the most frightening to the person looking at it, attempting to paralyze them in fear. Nobody knows what a true boggart looks like in its natural form because they always shape-shift to its viewer’s greatest fear before they are seen. It’s immediate.
During the lesson, the boggart steps out of the wardrobe, it is identical looking to Professor Snape as that was the biggest fear of the first student to try it. Professor Lupin guided the student who shouted the charm “Riddikulus!” at the boggart, which then hilariously accessorized the Professor Snape imitator with a large hat, a long dress, and a red handbag.
The reason this was so funny to the entire class was that Professor Snape was known to be a very strict, proud, hard-nosed teacher, and to see him dressed so flamboyantly ensued amusement.
The first student knew what to do to defeat his biggest fear – the boggart imitating Professor Snape – because he was guided by Professor Lupin to use the charm, but also to imagine that boggart as something funny. As Professor Lupin said, “ The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is laughter.”
As the lesson cycled through the students, you saw various things like a giant spider, a mummy, etc. All terrifying things and unique to each person facing it. Each student also spent a few minutes before the lesson thinking about their biggest fear and a way to make it comical. So when they said the charm, the giant spider suddenly had roller skates on each of its eight feet and a mummy began unraveling – a fear disappearing before their eyes.
Like the lesson Professor Lupin did with his class, this activity helps children break down their fears and transform them into something hilarious, conquerable, and less intimidating, giving them a chance to move their brains away from the frozen state of fear and into a place of empowerment, confidence, and action.
So grab a pen, and a copy of the printable, and let’s get dreaming! Also, a printable free version is below to help with playfulness, movement, and connection!
How to set up the Harry Potter Boggart activity
This activity is super easy and low maintenance! All you need are the supplies below! Let’s get started!
Supplies:
- Boggart Printable (get it below!)
- Pens, pencils, or markers of different colors
- Magazine/Newspaper clippings (optional)
Instructions:
1. Start a heart-felt, eye-to-eye, no-distraction conversation with your kiddo about their fears. What scares them? If you are comfortable, sharing yours can help the child ease into it too.
Even more simply, what brings them caution? It doesn’t have to be big, traditional, or obvious. It is meant to be specific to the child. Plus the child may feel more comfortable starting with a more minor fear and then working their way up to a bigger worry, which is fine too!
Just as Professor Lupin started his lesson, discuss the plan with the child so they know what to expect. Show them the printable and let them know that they will be drawing their fear on the paper that it might be scary at first, and that they will use a charm and defeat it.
This is a great way to build connection, and trust and find out their fears as well. The best learning happens with connection first!
2. Now is also the time to brainstorm ways to turn the scary thing into something that will invoke laughter or giggles. Try not to offer too many ideas at first, even if the child sits quietly for a few minutes. They need to start building the neuropathways that get them on the other side of fear. This is why we brainstorm before we draw it, the fear isn’t in front of them yet, making it easier to imagine funny things.
If the child is truly struggling and just can’t seem to move past the fear, offer some help and guidance. Make sure you are asking questions and guiding them, rather than solving it for them, however. The comical thing should still be their idea, they may just need help getting there.
For example, if a child is struggling with a fear of something hiding in the closet and cannot find a way to make it funny, ask questions like “What was happening the last time you laughed?” or “Where were you the last time you laughed?” Then really connect the dots by saying things like “Man if only your closet could be like ______ (the memory they just shared).” Then let them ruminate on that and form the idea that it could be just like the memory.
Some kids may need more help than others and that is ok. All I am saying is we need to try not to solve it for them straight away. Let them do the mental work of building that pathway. You can just supply the bricks for the path, if necessary.
3. Pull out your wands (or use your finger as a wand, as real magic comes from inside you anyway) and practice saying the charm “riddikulus” over and over until everyone has become comfortable and confident saying it. Try it in different accents to bring extra fun and silliness to it!
4. Present the printable to your child. Explain to them that just like in the book/movie, the Boggart will represent a fear they have. Then invite them to draw that fear on the printable. Depending on the child and the fear they express, they may need some help or guidance drawing it.
It is encouraged that, to the best of your ability, the drawing matches the fears they express and does not end up cartoony, cutesy, or overly animated, taking some of the “scariness” of it away. That part comes next. But they need to see the fear for what it is first to fully move through it. Keep it age-appropriate as well.
5. Once the fear has been drawn, ask the child if they remember the brainstormed ways to turn the scary thing into something comical. Again try not to say the brainstormed idea itself, just guide them to remember it. Once they remember it, invite them to shout “Riddikulus!” and add the comical features needed. They can simply draw, color, or even cut out magazine and newspaper clippings and put them over the fear itself.
6. When the transformation is complete, they can say the charm again to make it complete. Then stand back and admire all the brave work that went into today.
Suppose your child doesn’t like to do worksheets or printables. Or perhaps you would like to extend this activity to include even more fun! In that case, you can do this activity while moving your body and getting silly! This can work with you and a single child or child-to-child.
Have the child describe something they are scared about in great detail. Ask questions to get them to describe it further, if necessary. Questions like, how it moves, its color, what it eats, whether is it hairy, does it fly, etc! Then ask them how they could turn that scary thing into something funny. Again look for a lot of detail here as you (or the other child) will be acting it out!
Then, on the count of three, you (or the second child) pretend(s) to be the scary thing. Get into it and play it up! Kind of like charades! When the child with the fear you are interpreting shouts “Riddikulus!” you immediately transform into the silly version they described at the beginning.
Again, play it up! Get those kids rolling! Transforming that fear into something funny is such a strong way to empower them and help them build their strength and tenacity.
It could be a critter they are scared of, something they remember from a bad dream, or even something from their imagination. Real or fake, it does not matter in this activity. This is all about learning the skills and building the neuro-pathways that help move us from fear to action and moving us from that immobilized state to a state of confidence and control!
If your kiddos are enjoying learning about themselves while exploring the magical world of witchcraft & wizardry, and they want more, you can grab all 8 of our Harry Potter mindfulness printables for just $1.29!
(If you just want the free file, feel free to go to the individual posts to grab to grab them. It will ask you to enter in your information for each activity printable, but don’t worry, I won’t send you duplicate emails.)
Social Emotional Learning Behind the Harry Potter Boggart Activity
Fear is something every human can relate to and understand. It is an instinct within all of us, and for good reason. It is there to help keep us safe and alive. Fear, however, can grow to a point where we stay stagnant and don’t reach our potential.
Resiliency comes from facing fear and then overcoming it over and over. When we learn it is safe to face our fears and overcome them, we become unstoppable! As mentioned in this article from Psychology Today, “Boggarts mirror our insecurities and unhealed emotional wounds.”
This activity paves the way for the focus to be on the positive and to see a way through. To heal our fears and insecurities. This activity, while not meant to replace true psychological help, can help start the process of removing the identity we humans tend to make with our insecurities and move us to a happier mindset.
That’s exactly why I created this activity. To give children a fun, engaging, and lasting way to use a tool for moving past fears and insecurities, so they can grow into all they want to be! Empowering your kids to grow past their fear and anxiety is a gift they will use their entire lives.
Check out these other Harry Potter Social Emotional Learning Activities:
- Harry Potter Remembrall Activity – Positive Mindset
- Harry Potter Sorting Hat Activity – Character Building / Self Acceptance
- Harry Potter House Crest Activity – Self Affirmation
- Harry Potter Transfiguration Activity – Flexible Thinking & Growth Mindset
- Harry Potter Mirror of Erised Activity – Achieving Goals / Tenacity
- Harry Potter Marauder’s Map Activity – Self Care / Authenticity / Safety
- Harry Potter Defeat Voldemort Activity – Confidence / Defeating Fear