Zoo-Maz educational toys: Anyone having luck with teaching color/shape/counting?

[Kiwibird08]

Does anyone else use Zoo-Max educational toys with their bird? Any luck getting your bird to learn to identify shapes, colors and count with them? I have been looking at these for a while and just haven't ordered yet. Kiwi seems to be a masterful puzzle solver by nature and quite capable of learning abstract concepts, though I'm not having so much luck getting him interested in learning colors/shapes (haven't even touched on counting yet). Thinking this line of toys designed by experts may be better suited to teaching than the random objects I've rounded up to use? I've been putting off ordering their toys for a while thinking I could go cheap and use toy parts. I think it may be time to bite the bullet and get something he doesn't equate with a foot toy.

I'm thinking those color boxes that you can hide treats in look like perhaps the best option for color-training (?)
http://www.zoo-max.com/502 Color Cubes (4)

Also not sure if getting this one "teach box" for counting/shape would be best:
Zoo-Max bird products manufacturer. bird toys

Or if it would be better to get the puzzle for shape teaching
Zoo-Max bird products manufacturer. bird toys

and the "power game" for counting:
Zoo-Max bird products manufacturer. bird toys
(or teach him to play connect-4 lolololol)

 

[iamwhoiam]

I have the teach box and the rings. At this time I am just working with Sophie, red-bellied parrot, but she is just into taking the rings off right now. Haven't used the teach box yet. I did teach a few of my birds color words several years ago. I used small colored plastic bears. One bird named the correct color when shown the bear with almost 100% accuracy. Another bird would touch the correctly colored bear with his beak when I would state the "color". I taught each color individually first and then slowly added new colors. Later on I added different objects so that they didn't just associate the colors with the bears. I don't think you necessarily have to purchase the zoo max toys to teach colors, shape, etc. What I felt was important was to start with one color, then add another, etc. but use the same item and same size so the only difference is color. For example, all bears different color, all square shapes different colors, etc. If you are teaching shapes....start with one shape, then add a second shape...keep them all the same colors and size at first.

I also worked on having them identify the item when named first by going to it or touching with beak rather than trying to get them to name the charactersitic (shape, color, etc). I hope this makes sense.

 

[iamwhoiam]

These are the bears I used:
Amazon.com : Baby Bear Counters (102 ct.) : Childrens Basic Skills Development Toys : Office Products

 

[Kiwibird08]

That is VERY helpful information iamwhoiam! I'm glad to hear someone else has had some luck training their birds these more complex concepts. did you use some form of target training to tach them? Kiwi is about 16 and only says a few words, so I don't think he will ever be able to verbalize the colors/shapes back to me. I think he is fully capable of learning to identify them by touching or picking up on command though. He is a smart bird and responds well to cue words once I can figure out a way to establish with him what they mean. He's a challenge to train as he's not food motivated and learns by observing and being 'guided' in some way rather than the common targeting methods.

The big problem I'm having with toddler toys is he KNOWS those kind of things are HIS toys. We have lots of 3D small kids toys from play sets. I have been working with Kiwi since I adopted him over 6 years ago about "yours" and "mine" (designating objects or areas as "yours" or "mine" by tapping them in conjunction with the cue). I taught him this since I can't have him ripping up our apartment (we're renters) but also needed to show him it was fun and ok to play with his toys. He now understands though that the toys are "his" to do with as he pleases, so during training, he often takes them and runs off or starts ripping them up or otherwise playing with them. I was looking at these sets as a way to get a 'neutral' group of objects he doesn't identify as his so he will be more gentle and well behaved with them. There isn't a lot of flat, geometric shapes in primary colors in his toy box . His toys are mostly 3-D and vibrantly colored, so I think he may not immediately take them as objects to play roughly with.

 

[iamwhoiam]

The only target training I would say that I did was giving them a treat for touching the bear with the beak or even walking over to a bear. I wanted them to be able to both identify by color and also state the color of an object. I used treats and verbal praise, lots of repetition and was very patient. A lot depends on how interested each individual bird is in an activity and also if the bird is interested in talking. I tried this with another group of three birds and one of them only says "green". Everything is "green". The other two don't say color words at all. All of them talk but they weren't interested in the activity except that they wanted to play with the bears...throw them around and chew on them.

It might be worth it to purchase one of the Zoo Max toys and give it a try. I wanted to try these with my Goffin's and have shown them to her but she is afraid of them and runs away. She is very mechanical and I thought it might be fun for her to pick up items and put them in the box or to remove items from the rings and then put them back on. I haven't given up on her, though. Sometimes it takes her awhile to warm up to new items.

Kiwi looks like a blue-front based on the avatar photo. He looks and sounds like a very sweet bird. I have a 28 year old blue-front, Casey. He used to talk a lot and sing a lot (different songs) but decreased the amount of talking when I got my Bare-eyed. I used toddler ring toys with him and he used to take the rings off the pole and would sometimes put them back on. He's not interested in that anymore.

 

[Kiwibird08]

Yup, he's a blue front. We don't know much about his past besides he had 2 known prior homes and wasn't treated very nicely. He sometimes says "hello" and uses a garbled curse word in-context when he's mad at you (I suspect it was said a lot at him), but he's not very vocal in general. Even his bird noises are very limited. I don't expect him to begin verbalizing now, more identify on cue. He's usually pretty interested in any activity I bring to the table, though toys equate to "play time" every time. I'm thinking though, with these, I will be able to "show him" by picking them up and praising myself then letting him try (that's how he's learned many things, watching the humans do it first lol). This will be an interesting 'journey' to see if Kiwi wants to learn these.
I know those rings in the photo too, they are a soft plastic. Kiwi has had them before and made them into confetti I'm surprised your zon didn't just rip them up?

 

[iamwhoiam]

Casey didn't turn the rings into confetti but he did make holes in them. His favorite thing to do was removing every key from the computer keyboard (computer now in different room) but he never broke the keys. He sometimes takes toys and/or toy parts and puts them together to create a new toy which I think is very clever and intelligent.

 

[Kiwibird08]

Casey didn't turn the rings into confetti but he did make holes in them. His favorite thing to do was removing every key from the computer keyboard (computer now in different room) but he never broke the keys. He sometimes takes toys and/or toy parts and puts them together to create a new toy which I think is very clever and intelligent.

Kiwi isn't a big chewer (of normal things like wood or paper at least) but he does love chewing soft plastic. He knows better than to touch the keys on the computer, but he will occasionally go after pens, which is an automatic end to desk time for him He also does the "putting together" little toy parts thing! I wonder if it's something BFAs do? They seem to be the brainer of the hot 3 zons. Curious, did Casey ever do well with trick training at all or is he a typical stubborn zon?

 

[Kiwibird08]

Bit the bullet and ordered Kiwi a full range of new educational toys this morning. These should keep us busy all summer! I'm not sure if Kiwi will ever be a competitor for worlds smartest bird:, but I did decide on 2 color/shape teaching tools, along with 2 'just for fun' puzzles I think he will LOVE. They should be arriving next week so we can get started right away. I am SO excited to be teaching him something fun and educational!

First up is the zoo max teach box and memory twin shapes:

I think the amount of shapes, plus the learning to put the coins in the bank will give me lots of options to try and teach him shapes and colors. He can't verbalize, so I already have a plan with those white background/color center pieces from the 'twin shapes' set to compensate for the fact he can't talk.

I also decided to just get some plain, fun puzzle toys that I am 150% sure would be appealing to Kiwi. First is the "swizzle sticks" puzzle:

Next is the shapes puzzle:

And not that this one is educational in any way, shape or form, but Kiwi is going to LOVE his special surprise (he is a teenage boy after all, and what teen boy doesn't have his own skateboard):

I was looking at the roller skates and scooter too, but somehow, I just don't see those happening right now. Maybe once he gets used to the skateboard we can graduate to ones he moves on his own.

 

[Macawnutz]

It's a good line of toys. You'll have a blast teaching them!

I find putting a small ball into a small dish to be a good starter prop.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Great choices. I hope Kiwi has a good time with all of the new toys. Did you get the swizzle stick, puzzle and skateboard at funtimebirdy.com? Sophie put a ring back on her ring toy the other day. Tried it with my Goffin's again and, at least this time, instead of running away she touched it with her beak.

 

[Kiwibird08]

It's a good line of toys. You'll have a blast teaching them!

I find putting a small ball into a small dish to be a good starter prop.

He's mastered putting small objects in his (plastic) teacup I am so excited to start working with more advanced games with him! He's such a lovely boy to interact with, always so intrigued by everything.

Have any of your many birds learned any of the colors/shapes or to do puzzles?

 

[Kiwibird08]

Great choices. I hope Kiwi has a good time with all of the new toys. Did you get the swizzle stick, puzzle and skateboard at funtimebirdy.com? Sophie put a ring back on her ring toy the other day. Tried it with my Goffin's again and, at least this time, instead of running away she touched it with her beak.

Yup, funtimebirdy has some great toys. That's great your birds are making progress!

 

[Macawnutz]

He's mastered putting small objects in his (plastic) teacup I am so excited to start working with more advanced games with him! He's such a lovely boy to interact with, always so intrigued by everything.

Have any of your many birds learned any of the colors/shapes or to do puzzles?

A few...

Good luck! You'll have as much fun as he will.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Kiwi isn't a big chewer (of normal things like wood or paper at least) but he does love chewing soft plastic. He knows better than to touch the keys on the computer, but he will occasionally go after pens, which is an automatic end to desk time for him He also does the "putting together" little toy parts thing! I wonder if it's something BFAs do? They seem to be the brainer of the hot 3 zons. Curious, did Casey ever do well with trick training at all or is he a typical stubborn zon?

That's interesting that Kiwi also puts parts together. Casey picks and chooses what he likes to do. He has a keyed treasure chest and has no interest in it whatsoever. He used to hang upside down off of a stand holding a toy in his beak while swinging back and forth. The purpose of this was to tease the dog. The dog would try to reach the toy but it was too high for her. Casey knew exactly what he was doing. I can compare my YNA, Shannon, to Casey and would have to say that they are both intelligent but Casey is the better talker and also picks up on things faster. However, I wouldn't say that BFAs are smarter than YNAs because I just think it varies with the individual bird.

 

[Chihuahua]

Curious how you teach a bird to use a puzzle! I'd love to teach my birds something like that.

 

[Kiwibird08]

Just an update, but we are making SLOW progress. Kiwi has now learned to put the "swizzle sticks" in the holes, though we have yet to get the colors matched. I don't push him with training though and kind of let him "lead" when he's interested or not. He usually just wants to play with me, but some days he seems interested in following the target stick and learning something productive. He's been interested in his puzzle, but yet to figure it out. I know he's not stupid, just stubborn (if only he'd pay a little more attention to what his mommy shows him). What can I say, he's a typical zon!