You may know that toys provide valuable reward, exercise, and boredom relief to our four-legged friends, but did you know that "playtime" for your bird is absolutely essential to its mental health?  Toys provide exercise, mental stimulation, and relief from boredom. Many behavioral and health problems stem from a bird not being stimulated enough.

Some birds are wary of new toys.  If your bird seems apprehensive, place the toy outside of the cage but within visual range.  After several days, place the toy on the bottom of your bird's cage so your bird can thoroughly investigate it.  Once he begins to play with it, it is perfectly safe to hang it in your bird's cage.

When choosing a toy, remember to consider safety first.

• Birds love toys that are brightly colored, but make sure to choose toys that have been dyed with vegetable or cake dyes.  Other dyes are potentially toxic to your feathered friend.
• Never offer plastic toys to anything larger than a budgie; parrots will quickly crack those toys and cut themselves.
• If you hang any toy in the cage, be sure it is on a short, thick rope or chain - a long thin string can strangle your bird. 
• Choose the right size toy for the right size bird.  A toy designed for a parakeet may crack or shatter if given to a Macaw; on the flip side, a parakeet is going to be overwhelmed by and possibly afraid of a toy that is meant to be played with by a large parrot.

Because of their intelligence, birds need toys that offer them a wide variety of experiences. Look for products that offer a wide variety of:

Textures, to stimulate the mouth and feet

Colors, since birds see a wider spectrum of colors than we do

Tastes, to stimulate their palate

Sizes, for a different look and feel

Sounds, to give the toys more audio appeal

And challenges, such as different puzzles or ladders, for the problem-solving challenge that all birds need