I try to create a lot of opportunities to forage, from as simple as putting some interesting food in a bowl, to hiding and mixing things and using toys and tools to do so. Here are some pictures of a few, though not all of the foraging stuff I've done so far
Hope it helps spark some ideas!Here's Sukha over an orange foraging toy I got in the bird section of a pet store. Simply shove things in that fit, hang and enjoy! Nuts, treats, shredded paper and other chewables fit well.
Let's see if you look at the bottom left corner of the cage you'll see some wheat grass, and in the whiffle balls are a few things like nuts and any treat I could fit in there that wouldn't easily fall out. I also like to periodically mix peanut butter with honey and add pellet, seeds and other small treats then stir. After that I take a spoon and mash it into hiding places like in little sea shells, in the nooks of perches here and there on toys and so such.
Here's Sukha on a playstand I made with a foraging toy that I made out of miscellaneous things like pony beads, plastic shot glasses, plastic lids and some chewable things like apple wood and whatnot. I put a milk lid over the shot glass so he has to move stuff around to get to the treats. I also have another milk cap lower down that is inverted to hold treats, but has apple wood blocking so he has to move those around as well.
Here's a swing I made form a jump rope and cholla wood, with a few other toys to play with and forage in. I put things in the cholla wood that would fit, and mashed peanutbutter treat mix (explained above) in the caps on the string.
Sukha LOVES this one, there's all kinds of shiny and colorful stuff, but foraging-wise there are rawhide discs hung there and I like to put other treats in the whiffle ball such as dried fruit, grapes, nuts, raisins, large pellets and what have you.
Here's a shreddable foraging toy made out of several coffee filters with cheerios, crackers and other cereals and things that either have holes or where holes can easily be made in between each filter.
Here is Sukha demonstrating the hanging technique of this next foraging toy. I found it as a dog toy in a pet store (boucy toy that has woven interlocking chew-safe rubber), but I hung it on some bird-safe rope and crumpled nuggets and pellets into pieces of paper and shoved them in there. He has to chew through the paper to get to the goodies
Of course I put some treats on the outside to peak his interest.
Here is one of many whiffle balls I got from the dollar store. They tend to fall apart with all the dropping and throwing Sukha likes to do, but that's OK, cuz I just tie them back together! In this one are things like walnuts, almonds, seeds and pellets crumpled inside some shreddable paper
In the background is his purple bath house that I sometimes throw fruit into so he has to go bobbing for grapes or whatnot.
Here is Sukha chowing down on some grapes still on the vine that I hung from the top of the cage. In the bottom left corner you will see a whisk which I like to cram treats into, and to the lower right of Sukha you will see another toy with sea shells on it. NOTE: small sea shells make AWESOME hiding places for treats, especially the peanut butter mix (explained earlier)!
I also have store-bought foragers like these
I would have LOVED to see your husband's face/reaction when you came home ROFL!!! Also honeycomb cereal works great for stringing up, as well as unseasoned unflavored popcorn of course, and other things but I don't want to babble TOO much.