Birthday Children Party Parents Play Cake Candles Boy

In the United States, most parents organize birthday parties for their young children. Sometimes the party is at a park or restaurant, but usually the "guests" or people who come to a party come to the child's home.

When they "arrive" or come to the home, the children give the "birthday boy" or "birthday girl" a present, which is put on a table. Then the children play together. Once all the children have arrived, the parents ask them to sit at a table and eat. They might have sandwiches or pizza, or any other kind of food that children like and that is easy to eat.

When everyone has finished eating, the parents turn off the lights and bring in the birthday cake with lighted candles. The cake usually has one candle for each year of the child's age, meaning that a birthday cake for an eight-year-old child would have eight candles. The guests sing the song, "Happy Birthday." Then the birthday boy or girl closes his or her eyes, "makes a wish" (thinks about something that he or she wants to get or have happen), and blows out the candles. If the birthday boy or girl is able to blow out all the candles in only one breath, it means that the wish will come true. Then the birthday boy or girl opens presents and thanks the guests for them. The children usually play with the new toys until their parents come to take them home.

At many parties, there are simple games for the children to play. Sometimes there are clowns or "cartoon characters" (like Mickey Mouse) who play with the children. Some birthday parties are very expensive and "elaborate" (with many arranged parts or details) but other birthday parties are quite simple.