Party horn

A party horn.

A party blower is a horn formed from a paper tube, often one that is flattened and rolled into a coil, and which unrolls when blown into, producing a horn-like noise. The item is not known consistently by any term in English, also being known by a number of local variations, neologisms, and individual terms, often containing variants and synonyms of blowing (puffing, blow-out etc.) and noise (whistle, squeak etc.)

Children blow party horns at a birthday party.

Modern variations have a plastic mouthpiece, which prevents the swift degradation of the device from exposure to the moisture of the mouth. Often the paper tube contains a coiled up metal or plastic strip that rapidly retracts the horn when you stop blowing on it. Others have a brightly colored feather attached to the end which vibrates in the outgoing air flow as the horn is blown.

Look up party horn in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Names for such items, which make a sound as a direct result of blowing or puffing, include:

• party horn, party blower, screamer, squeaker, noisemaker, mouth-extender, kazoo strip and noise machine.

Other party items that make a noise as a result of clapping, rotation against metal, or other percussion, are, by definition, not classed as party blowers.