Playtime and Exercise
Parakeets love to play and explore. Whether she's flying circles around your living room, chasing a ball, climbing up your window screen, or play-fighting with your finger. Parakeets need lots of attention especially if she is the only bird in the house, otherwise she will quickly become bored and depressed.
Your budgie need to come out of her cage once in a while. Being cooped up in one little square is hard for a keet; she wants to come out and play with you and explore her surroundings. Be sure to let your parakeet out of her cage for at least an hour every day, longer if you desire. During this time, you can either talk and play with your keet or let her explore. Sometimes she will just chill on the back of your kitchen chair and sing you a pretty song. However, your budgie needs to be supervised outside of her cage so that she doesn't get into anything she isn't supposed to, just like a young child. Some hazards may include hot stoves, windows, mirrors (your bird cannot see the glass and will try to fly through them), electrical cords (your keet can chew these and get electrocuted), sharp objects, small objects that are a potential choking hazard, house plants, and other pets.
Parakeets fly. That is just a reality we all have to get used to. Nothing can really prevent flying, because that is one of your keet's natural instincts. Flying is also an excellent exercise for your parakeet. Clipping your keet's wings may help for a while, but she will soon learn to fly with her shortened wings. So the easiest thing to do would be to remove as much potential hazards as possible and always have someone watching your budgie while she is out. Never leave er out of her cage when no one is at home! If you choose to clip your budgie's wings, however, do not do it yourself unless you have had experience doing it; the best thing to do would be to take her to the vet. The wings should be clipped so that your keet is able to glide gently to the ground, not so fast that she seems like she's falling like a rock.
Parakeets love to play, whether it's exploring her world, shaking around a bell, pushing a ball across the floor, or spending time with you. Toys should be kept in your budgie's cage, but don't put so many in so that there is barely any room to move around. Switch out your keet's toys every 2-4 weeks so she doesn't get bored. Be sure to have toys that your budgie can tear apart. Toys with bells and beads on them work too. However, I suggest not putting a mirror in your keet's cage, otherwise she will become too obsessed with it. Below, you'll find some toys I have used with Clarabelle.
Interacting with your Budgie
There are many ways to interact with your parakeet and make her feel like she is a special part of your life. First of all, make sure you talk to your budgie often. You can also use your finger to "play-fight" with your budgie. If she doesn't like that, maybe she will let you rub her cheeks (usually close to where the purple spots are on Clarabelle). Another good way to spend quality time with your keet is to let her sit on your head or shoulder as you watch TV or go about your daily activities. If you and your keet are really close, she might let you hold her in your hands; however, do not enforce this because most parakeets do not like to be touched. Below, you'll find multiple ways to spend special time with your keet.