Parakeets love to play with toys!  Not only are they entertaining for your bird, they also give them both physical and mental exercise.  There should be at least one toy in your budgie’s home at all times, especially if you are gone most of the day.  When no one is around to talk with, they need something to do!

When choosing toys for your parakeet, look for bright and shiny colors.  They are very fond of bells, swings, ropes, ladders, beads, mirrors, toys that spin and make noise. Bells are shiny and make noise, so this is a favorite of many birds.  Another good idea is a bird play gym.  It gets your budgie out of his cage and lets you interact with him out in the open.  It’s important to rotate toys out occasionally so they don’t get bored with the same things.

Avoid toys that contain lead, have small parts they can choke on, toys with pieces that can easily be bitten off, and sharp toys.  Wash your parakeet’s toys regularly so they do not become sick; germs live everywhere!

Perri has a ladder, hanging colored wood discs with a bell, latice balls, a rope, a spinning cylinder with bells in it, and a two-sided mirror with bell.  I put his millet in a bright green millet holder, and he likes to play with this as well.

His favorite are the latice balls.  He takes them and throws them in his house, then hops down and takes it over to his water bowl, dunks it in, takes it out and puts it in his food bowl, rolls them around in the seeds until it is completely coated, then takes it and puts it back in the water.  He gets a kick out of this!  I also put these on the window sill.  He likes to go over there to play sometimes so he can look out the window.  Perri also likes the hanging discs.  He will sometimes grab the bell with his foot and talk to it.  He is very smart and will put the bell part on the perch next to it.  Then, he will keep nudging it slightly until it is perfectly centered, then stands up and does his “chicka chicka chicka” in triumph!