Homemade Bird Toys Ideas: Easy DIY Ideas to Keep Your Parrot Entertained

Homemade bird toys are more than just a budget hack, they’re a creative, fun way to bond with your parrot while meeting their daily need for mental stimulation. Whether you're using cardboard, paper towel rolls, or repurposed baby toys, homemade bird toys encourage natural chewing, shredding, and foraging behaviors essential to your bird’s health. 

Homemade Bird Toys

If quarantine had taught us anything, it's how to youtube and google new skills. There are many homemade bird toys videos. Many places are selling wood blocks with drilled holes, natural bird toy parts, and all types of beads for any type bird toy. All one needs to do is string to them with a sisal or stainless steel chain.

Take your DIY skills further by creating custom wood blocks, check out our wood block tutorial for parrots.

 

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Why Parrots Need Toys

Parrots are highly intelligent animals that need both mental and physical enrichment every day. Bird Toys offer:

• Exercise and agility

• Mental stimulation to prevent boredom

• Emotional balance

• Encouragement for natural behaviors like foraging and shredding

Without toys, parrots can develop destructive behaviors, pluck feathers, or become depressed. That’s where homemade bird toys shine.

What Materials Are Safe?

Here’s a quick list of bird-safe DIY materials:

• Plain paper (no dyes or fragrances)

• Clean cardboard

• Untreated wood (like pine or balsa)

• Paper rope, sisal, cotton rope (watch for frays)

• Bamboo or willow baskets

• Non-toxic baby toys (wood or plastic without moving parts)

• Natural pinecones (baked at low heat to sanitize)

🛑 Avoid: glitter, toxic glue, chemically-treated wood, frayed rope, and anything painted or varnished unless bird-safe.

Easy, Safe Homemade Bird Toys Ideas:

Can my bird play with cardboard?

Cardboard might be every bird owner's best friend. As bird toy parts prices increase, making homemade bird toys out of cardboard is easy and fun. There are cardboard boxes, cardboard blocks, and cardboard sheets. Cut the cardboard into smaller squares or rectangles. Make a hole in the center and string the cardboard pieces. Yes, it's that easy. Cut, Hole, String. 

Can you use baby toys for birds?

Infant toys are not just for a human baby; your 20-year-old parrot might love them too. There are so many varieties of baby toys from wood to sound-making that birds will love. Go to your nearest thrift store or look at marketplaces online for used old baby toys. (baby wood toys are safe since they use safe material for baby stuff). Watch out for moving parts toys because your parrot can get its toes stuck in them. Best to use simple, no-moving-parts infant toys. 

Can I buy safe bird toy parts at the Dollar Store?

My favorite place where I find all types of goodies for homemade bird toys. Wooden spoons to paper cups and rubber ducks. The dollar store or bargain stores are the best places to find all types of treasures for bird toys. Remember to check out their baby section. Also, don't forget the popsicle sticks and coin paper wrappers.

Where do I buy wood for homemade bird toys?

Even with high prices, you can find a clearance section at the lumber yard where they are selling untreated pine wood for 70 percent off. You might not be able to use the full length and throw away part of the damaged wood, but it's much cheaper than the full-priced lumber.

Can I use Books for Bird Toys?

Parrots love catalogs that get delivered to your home and go straight into the cage. Cheapest shreddable bird toy you can find. Just hand it over to them. To convert a book into a homemade bird toys, make a hole about an inch down, 1/2 depth on the spine side. String.

Pinecones for Homemade Bird Toys

If you live in a semi-rural area with no hazards from insecticides or exhaust fumes, you can use pinecones as free bird toys. Bake them in your oven for 1 hour at the lowest temperature to sanitize them. 

What is the best material for Bird Toys?

Yes, sometimes it's as easy as paper. So, how do you make bird toys out of paper? Use plain paper, no dyes, cut into strips and weave the strips, in and out on your bird's cage. They will have a bast shedding it, destroying it, or getting rid of that paper you just added to their clean cage. A perfect homemade bird toys for any type of parrot.

Using Paper Towel Rolls

Just a paper towel roll can be entertaining for hours. Give it as is or make them into a homemade bird toys. Wait until you have a bunch of paper towel rolls. Fold them in half. Make a hole on the folded end and in the middle about 1/2 in depth. String a bunch of folded rolls together.

Using Baskets for Homemade Bird Toys

Sometimes, you can find cheap bamboo or willow baskets. Fill the baskets with foot toys and paper shreds, and watch your bird spend hours trying to find all the cool stuff you added. Remember to add a few foraging toys for even more stimulus. Another homemade bird toys idea is if you are friendly with your pizza delivery person, ask for an unused pizza box. Use the pizza box in place of the basket. 

For stringing your bird toys, I suggest paper rope since it is the safest and most bird-friendly, in my option. For the rest, you should know your bird and use jute, sisal, hemp, chain, and/or cotton rope according to your discretion. 

Unleash your creativity with homemade bird toys and discover the joy of crafting toys that keep your pet birds happy and healthy. By providing mental stimulation, exercise opportunities, and a source of entertainment, you're not only enhancing their well-being but also strengthening your bond with these intelligent creatures. Explore creative ideas and tips in our ultimate guide to DIY Bird Toys to make safe, fun toys for your

 

Where to Find Supplies

• Dollar stores: Paper cups, popsicle sticks, wooden spoons, baby toys

• Lumber yards: Look for untreated pine in clearance bins

• Online marketplaces: Gently used baby items and willow or bamboo baskets

• Nature: Pinecones, clean sticks, or leaves (only if pesticide-free)

 Looking for toy parts? Explore our DIY Bird Toy Parts.

Wrap-Up: Why Homemade Toys Matter

Crafting toys for your parrot, an act of love. You’re giving them enrichment, stimulation, and a healthy outlet for natural behaviors. And best of all, you’re strengthening the bond between you and your pet bird. Explore our complete DIY Bird Toy guide for more inspiration and safety tips.

Looking for Bird-Safe Toys?

Not in the mood to DIY? Shop our handmade, parrot-tested toys at PDS Parrot Shop. We carry enrichment options for every species: from budgies to macaws.

 

Monika Sangar, MSc – Molecular Biology | Avian Nutrition Specialist | Founder: PDSnonprofit | Owner: Pds Parrot Shop 

 

Monika Sangar is a parrot rescuer, bird food chef, and toy designer with over a decade of experience in avian care and nutrition. She is the founder of Prego Dalliance Sanctuary and the author of The Science of Avian Nutrition, a cookbook dedicated to fresh, healthy meals for parrots. Explore more bird care tips and bird toys at PDS Parrot Shop!