Estimated Time:
2-3 hrs. (bake, cool, frost)

Materials:
Cake mix, frosting, sprinkles, candles

Ice Cream!!!

Description:
Bake a birthday cake. Frost and decorate. Light the candles; bring it into the room, singing "Happy Birthday America...Happy Birth-day to you!"

Other comments or suggestions:
It's sort of like baking Birthday Cake at Christmas time, with candles. Someone will say "whose birthday is it?" and feel a little silly when they figure it out. ;-)

This can be a prelude to watching the 'America Rocks' video, or a part of any mellow July 4 celebration.

Any kind of cake mix (or your favorite recipe) would be appropriate; the main idea is simply Birthday Cake. Thus, Chocolate would be first choice for many of us, and we live in a land of Freedom, so...go for it!! ;-)

For Red, White, and Blue, consider this:

Check the item on this Activities page for "Confetti/Funfetti" Cake. Pillsbury has a "Funfetti" mix that makes this little project...'a piece o' cake.'
;-) The cake (vanilla) has red and blue sprinkles to add to the mix before baking, and then there are 'stars and stripes' sprinkles to add to the top of the cake after frosting. My children got way excited by the Colorful designs on the box and the frosting tub. Ol' 'Poppin' Fresh' was waving a flag on the front o' the box...it's just Fun!

Cake Mate (the company that makes colored sugar and various decors/sprinkles) has a "Happy Birthday" set of candy letters that's red and blue, with 8 candy stars that serve as candle-holders. Combined with the Funfetti products, (or applied to that chocoholic's delight ;-)it's a neat and Quick party item. Peel 'em and apply them---what could be easier?!

well---obviously a cake from the best bakery you know of will do ;-)

Just light those candles and Sing Like You Mean It!!! Party On!