There are days you’ll stop at your local store and just marvel at how diverse baby toys have gotten. They are also more affordable than bird toys since they are mass-produced.
As such, it’s not odd to wonder if baby toys are OK and safe for your birdies.
Well, mostly, yes!
Off the top of my head, since they are made with safe paint (and rated for use by babies), they’d be okay for parrots and other house birds.
Most will provide hours of entertainment for a fraction of the price of bird toys sold in pet stores or online websites.
However, please note that while teething toys are made for chewing on and can hold up well, most baby toys are not designed for tearing, shredding, and possibly eating like typical bird toys and will get damaged quite easily.
Moreover, anything with a noisemaker (electronic or mechanical) will pick your bird’s curiosity but might irritate some. Plus, most are made so kids don’t get to the batteries, but parrots will with a few well-placed bites.
Parrots come complete with the tools and strength to bypass any security measures on electronic baby toys.
I would also be careful with stuffed toys with threads or parts that may snare a toe or strangle your bird.
Please see more insight below.
What Kind of Baby Toys Do Birds Like
While birds appreciate some baby toys as much as typical playthings, not all items provide the same excitement or interest.
Plus, the safety of each kid’s toy is different… but overall, all birds love colorful, reflective, fabric, noise, paper, wood, foam, and bead toys. As such, some pretty simple kids’ items will stimulate your birdie and keep it busy.
For instance, plushy baby toys like foam mats are a favorite for many birds. Soft plastic blocks, readily found in thrift or dollar stores for next to nothing, work magic.
Foam toys help reduce stress and boredom and provide varying textures that encourage foot and beak exercises for your birdie.
C-hooks and clip chain links are other simple baby toys that provide sprightly stimulation for birdies. Conveniently, these links can be used along with foam blocks to create a colorful rainbow hanging and chewing toys for parrots. C-Hook chains also make perfect and colorful hanging bridges, swings, and bells, ideal for small birdies such as parakeets, cockatiels, budgies, green cheek conures, and lovebirds.
Dangling, jiggly baby toys will undoubtedly interest your birds as well, especially if they are colorful and make a sound. Such toys capture your parrot’s attention and even excite a lazy or shy bird.
Other things I’ve seen work exceptionally well are battery-powered toys, such as a baby piano. The sound it makes picks up a bird’s curiosity and interest for hours. The only downside with a kid’s piano (and other electric toys) is the wrath of a parrot’s beak and claws. Most of them will go to long lengths to break into the gadget while trying to investigate where the sound is coming from.
Baby toys made of natural fiber, such as wood and ropes made of cotton, hemp (Jute), or sisal, are also arousing to birds. But please note that while it’s OK to let your birds chew on wood, it’s not so for rope, though most parrots will anyway. Fabric toys such as cotton are also ideal for your birds, though precaution should be taken because birdies often get entangled by treads.
For very active shredders, paper toys are equally ideal for stimulation.
Lastly, consider bead toys. They are exciting for birds.
Can Birds Have Stuffed Animals, Toys
An environment filled with toys is ideal for any bird. Moreover, it’s advisable to have a few shreds of paper for your parrot to tear. However, regarding stuffed animals for your little shredder, different birds tend to react contrarily to them.
Some birdies like them and will even cuddle up with a stuffed toy and preen them, but others will immediately fly off to their cage at the mere sight of a plush toy.
If you are lucky and your birds love a stuffed animal you bring home, they will bond with it so much that your birdie will be less lonely. If you are having a little challenge with your birdie’s love for an awesome stuffed toy you got him, you can try cuddling the toy for some time to transfer your scent.
Odd as it may sound, you’ll want your bird to believe the toy carries your character and represents the same trust and esteem it holds you with. That said, most stuffed animals are mostly safe regarding the material used to make them, considering they are safe for babies. The only concern would be your birdie chewing on it.
You see, most stuffed toys are made of threads, and if a bird chews one, stray strings risk looping the birdie’s claw or neck, which is not fun for your feathered mate. So, I just wanted to let you know that I advised caution if you offer your bird a stuffed pet. Only let him play with it when you are supervising him.
Are Plastic Toys Bad for Birds
In the world today, plastic is almost synonymous with toys of any kind, whether for your kid or pets. Granted, birds require a lot of stimulation to stay healthy and sane, so it’s almost inevitable to wonder if plastics are safe for birds.
Sharp, brittle materials are hazardous to birds and all pets, but plastic is, for the most part, safe for birds. A bit of caution is advised for larger birds with stronger beaks, such as macaws and African greys.
To the best of my knowledge, plastic toys usually don’t have any residual chemicals that can be ingested or inhaled by birds, but strong-beaked birds can swallow cut edges and rupture their organs.
So, when purchasing toys for your birds, ensure the plastic components are durable enough to withstand any bird’s beak to reduce the risk of shattering and ingestion.
Is Foam Safe for Birds
As with plastic, your bird could ingest foam pieces and end up with digestive issues. Away from that, some foam play shapes can leach residual chemicals that are harmful to birds in large amounts.
Be careful with small letters and shapes that are easily chewable as well.
Other than that, foam toys rated safe for birds and babies should be OK for your feathery lord.
For the more curious keepers, it also helps to know what foam your bird’s toy is made from. If the products don’t sound like something you would let your bird consume, don’t give the toy to your pet.
If the foam toys have a strong smell to them, it implies the production process included plenty of chemicals, so you may want to avoid such toys.
Happy Birding 🐦🦉🦜🦢.