Play is a natural behavior in the wild for parrots.  In our homes, play is even more important to our birds because they do not have a normal outlet for many of the tasks that would otherwise keep them busy in the wild like foraging and survival.

Birds in the wild engage in several different kinds of play including play with objects, balancing games, play that involves movement and social play with other birds like chase me or pretend fighting.

Playing isn't just for fun though.  Through play, a young parrot learns a lot about his physical abilities, his flock mates and his environment and this results in a more confident and less fearful bird.

Play offers many benefits to our pet birds, it:

• helps to develop coordination and dexterity
• fosters physical health by encouraging movement
• enhances emotional well-being
  • play reduces boredom
  • provides mental stimulation
  • helps you to build a stronger bond with your bird (social play)
• makes behavioral problems like screaming, biting and feather plucking less likely

We can give our birds opportunites for play by:

• providing suitable toys that promote chewing, foraging, exploration and exercise (learn how to make toys for your bird)
• playing games with our birds like peek-a-boo, hide and seek, chase me (social and motion play)
• singing and dancing with our birds (acoustic and balancing/movement play)