Ugly toys

[Ray P]

Some of the most awful looking toys I ever made for my parrots were their favorites.

They did not care if they were cut striate or square as long as they were fun.

No paint for color, no Fancie cut for looks just this ugly string of wooden cut offs.

In about two hours it did not make a difference if they looked good or not, they were tore up. Wood splinters every place and a bird with a smile on its beak

Edited August 14, 2012 by Ray P

[CLB]

I think I might be building one of those as we speak. Some think corrogated cardboard, some cupcake liners, who knows what else...it's definitely not pretty!

[Ray P]

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

[Timbersmom]

Apparently beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Timber's favorites include grocery sacks, junk mail, assorted pieces of cardboard, and a small blue ball that looks like it sailed in the ark. Oh! And plastic drinking straws of any color. Not a toy made with them (not much interest there) but just a straw straight out of the wrapper.

[CLB]

No straws here....too SCAREY!!!! lol I am planning on trying them in toy form, maybe not so scarey??

[Timbersmom]

I don't leave the straw in the cage with him when I'm not in here. He loves to fray the end then use it to scratch his head and neck. It's like a birdie back scratcher! If there is a danger here I'm not aware of, someone please tell me. I use the large straws from the convenience store (no, not used), not the little skinny ones.

[CLB]

Oh...not scarey dangerous, I don't think. Shadow fears them like the plague. Just scarey to her, maybe looks like a snake? She doesn't like long spaghetti strands either. EEK! lol

[Ray P]

AHH, To each his own

[Wingy]

Jake also love straws. I put 1/2 of one through the opening of a peg clothes pin and he is happily chewing away. The second surprise is him loving to push green colored bottles off the table. He can't be bothered with the clear ones but goes for the green. I filled a 20 ounce one with water so he has to work for it. Its funny really. Jake doesn't push the bottle over he pushes it from the bottom so it doesn't tip.

[Timbersmom]

LOL to the water bottle push!

 

CLB Whew that's a relief! I thought maybe they might put an eye out or something... Their fears are like people's fears it seems, sometimes irrational. A snake would make sense though.

[Wingy]

The most fun and inexpensive foraging toy came about when I tripped over a shoe on the floor. Take a piece of paper and fold it into a fan (like when you were a kid) release the paper on a table or surface, its now all bendy and bouncy. Sprinkle some seed over it. You now have a bendy, bouncy, foraging station with seeds in the folds. Jake loves poking through it looking for goodies and then chewing on the paper.

[Timbersmom]

Antoher good idea. I'm watching Timber playing with a grocery sack like he is panning for gold.

[Darwinsmom]

Darwin LOVES his straw toys. I make them with a whacky whirly to make them into strips, then bunch them together with a zip tie. I dont leave these in his cage, just in case, but he loves them. (pic attached) I only leave wooden and strong acrylic toys in his cage and check them daily. I've gone on a toy making kick, at the price of them, its far cheaper to buy the hardware parts (I only use stainless steel) and make my own.

 

Green and white straws on the boing toy

[CLB]

Have to ask...what's a wacky whirly?

[Darwinsmom]

Have to ask...what's a wacky whirly?

 

Its a pencil sharpener type thing to cut the straws into swirly ribbons like in my photo. They sell them on Amazon.com

[CLB]

OH...I need one of those!

[Sarasota]

I'm so getting a Whacky Whirly this weekend.

[katana600]

I so love the pictures of all your greys at play. Darwin has the pink blush on his face, that is just darling. It is just wonderful to watch you make toys and to find ways to entertain your little ones as they entertain you in return.

[Timbersmom]

Ordered! Timber is a straw lover...