Have you ever wondered why your parrot barely touches the $60 brand new toy you gave him, the one that seemed to have the best parrot toy parts on the market, and is instead fascinated with that old bath towel you left on the drier? How is it possible? Well, let's put ourselves in a parrot's feathers for a minute.
Parrots do tend to have a short attention span and get bored quickly.
They frequently change activities during the day and then again, they don't mind working on two or three "playing projects" at the same time.
Therefore, it is very important that they have at their disposal a whole range of games or different toys to be able to switch from one to the other according to their mood at that particular moment.
This doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg.
Your bird will not automatically like a toy just because it is a fancy pricey thing specially designed for parrots.
Naturally, unlike us, parrots don't care about the price of an object.
More often than not a simple piece of paper to tear up is way more interesting than the wonderful jumbo toy you have just installed in his cage.
Therefore, choosing extravagant parrot toys won't necessarily please him.
Parrots have simple tastes, but they do need variety.
It's up to you to discover the kind of games or toys your bird prefers and then cater to his curiosity accordingly, otherwise, be warned that the average house is full of potential "toys" - read "prized possessions" - for a parrot who has nothing to do or is bored...
How do you go about making such cheap toys? A good solution is to have a number of toy boxes filled with safe everyday objects throughout the house.
According to the room you could group together in a box:

• Kitchen toys: wooden spoons, plastic bowls, napkins, etc.
  
• Desk toys: non-toxic children's pencils, papers, old books, etc.
  
• Bathroom toys: children's comb or hairbrush, toothbrush (make sure it's new and does not use metal to hold the hairs), small towels, etc.
  
• TV room toys: this box must be large and varied if you want to watch your movie quietly! Try a foraging pine cone (stilck seeds or peanut butter in the slits) or an old cotton T-shirt cut into stripes.
  

It does not matter what the homemade parrot toy is: an empty paper towel roll, an old tablecloth, a cork, a drinking straw, a used book or phone book, an envelope, a wooden spoon...
It is all a question of stimulating the interest and curiosity of your parrot.