Playing with your parakeet is a great way to keep them entertained and make sure they stay happy.
It's important to have some toys for your pet parakeet so that they can play inside or outside of the cage.
Parakeets are very social birds and love to communicate and play, so it's important that you spend time playing with them every day!
1. Buy Toys
A lot of people forget about this one, but buying toys for your pet parakeet is a great way to keep them entertained. You can buy toys at pet stores, but you may also find some items around the house that they'll love.
One toy I recommend is a paper towel tube with holes poked in it and filled with birdseed or pellets. This will give your parakeet something to do while he/she waits for his next meal!
Amazon also sells some great, affordable parakeet toys for inside and out the cage:
Check out this pack of 13 hanging parakeet cage toys.
Parakeet foraging wall toys are also a hit with our birds as they love to chew and explore.
2. Make Toys
It's easy to make toys for your pet parakeet! All you need are some materials like cardboard, lolly sticks, or branches from outside trees (be sure to double-check our expert parakeet care guide, so you know which trees to avoid).
Don't have any cardboard, sticks, or branches? Why not try some toilet paper rolls with some bird-safe paint. They'll love it!
Youtube has so many easy tutorials for making parakeet toys. The materials are inexpensive, and they allow you to get creative and create something unique and original for your bird. Not to mention, if you have children, this could be an excellent opportunity to get them doing some arts and crafts.
In this video, you can learn how to make some cheap and easy DIY parakeet toys.
Pinterest is another excellent source for DIY parakeet toy ideas.
3. Find Some Fun Outside Activities
Did you know you can put your parakeet in a cage and go outside to play together? Your pet will enjoy getting fresh air and seeing new things while you get a chance to catch up on the latest neighborhood gossip!
You can also use a parakeet harness to take your bird outside safely. Although many bird trainers are against using harnesses, they are a safe way to venture out with your bird without worrying about them flying away or being attacked by predators.
By using a parakeet harness, you can also train your bird and go on fun outings. Just be sure to take some perches with you so your bird can rest, too.
4. Let Your Bird Climb
Parakeets love to climb, so anything that can give them an opportunity to scale or hang will make a great toy. Make sure you get toys made from natural materials such as wood, wool, and woven seagrass.
You can attach a long woven seagrass mat to the wall, and your parakeet will have endless fun climbing, swinging, and playing.
5. Talk to your parakeet.
As I have already mentioned, parakeets are social birds. You must talk to your parakeet every day.
Parakeets have long been known for their ability to mimic human speech, and now that you have your own, you can help your parakeet learn to talk!
As your parakeet grows up, you can teach it new words and phrases, and it will repeat them back to you and mimic your words and sounds with its own voice.
Encourage them to mimic the sounds they hear by saying their name, “pretty bird,” or “good girl.” Teach your parakeet to talk back to you. Your parakeet will learn from you and might even want to teach you something new that it picked up from the TV or somebody else in the house!
They are very capable of mimicking human sounds, and once they learn, it can be very impressive as well as entertaining for you both (and all of your guests).
6. Communicate Using Music.
You can also communicate with your parakeet through songs and music. Try singing to your bird or playing an instrument to see if they are interested in the sound. If your parakeet starts tapping on the cage, he or she is likely trying to tell you something, and this could be a sign of frustration or boredom.
You might also notice that your parakeet has its own favorite songs and is excited when it hears certain songs or genres.
Likewise, he might also express disgust for some music by flapping his wings or shaking the cage.
7. Create Obstacle Courses.
Play games with your parakeet by tossing a toy inside the cage and seeing if he can get it out. When he does, reward him with a treat. You can also use the cage as a little obstacle course by adding some perches and toys on the outside of it. If you're feeling incredibly crafty, consider building an obstacle course for your parakeet to navigate with tunnels, ladders, and other fun things to chew on or play with.
8. Change his cage location
Place the bird's cage in front of a window so that he has a great view while he plays. If you can change his cage location often to keep him from getting bored. Just be sure to avoid places like the kitchen.
9. Introduce new friends for your parakeet.
You've decided to take the next step and get your parakeet a friend. That's great! But before you rush off to the pet store, there is a very specific way of introducing your parakeet to a new friend. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you introduce your parakeet to a new friend of the same species.
- When you buy your new bird, place it in a separate cage next to your first parakeet's cage. The cages should be close enough that they can see and communicate with each other, but not so close that they can fight (which they will do if they are not properly acquainted.
- Allow your new bird to adjust to its new surroundings for a few days before you allow them out of the cage together.
- Once both birds have adjusted, start with supervised visits outside of their cages. Have one parakeet in each hand and let them interact while you watch carefully from a distance.
- Continue this process until you are comfortable enough to leave the two birds together unsupervised in or out of the cage.
10. Teach your parakeet classic games.
Your parakeet will love to play and can easily learn games such as, Hide and Seek, Musical Chairs, Catch the Wand, Chase. If you teach them to him, he will eventually know them by name and be able to play on his own.
Conclusion
Now you know what parakeets like to play with and some games that they play. You can try them out and see what your parakeet enjoys playing with the most. Be creative and have fun coming up with new ideas and tricks you can teach it. Just remember to be patient and caring.
