Hamsters sure do love to play! Once your hamster’s cage is complete, it’s time to think about providing them with enrichment activities. There’s plenty of options for making toys to keep your furry little friend entertained.
From boredom breaker toys that will encourage your hamster to forage for their food, to cute little donut tunnels that provide them with a safe spot to hide, there are so many different options out there!
We’ve rounded up our favorite nine DIY creations — and there are seriously creative hamster owners out there!
For those looking to learn how to make hamster toys, this is great news! All of these DIY hamster toys require minimal equipment and DIY skills. So even if you have never attempted a DIY project before, we reckon that these are the perfect ones to start with!
We’ve listed the materials and tools that you’ll need for each project, most of which should be easily found in your house already. Don’t forget that if you’re going to use anything with paint, you need to select a pet-safe and non-toxic brand that’s safe for hamsters.
If your hamster loves their wheel, this YouTube tutorial from Mr. H2 for an easy cardboard hamster wheel will keep them entertained for hours. Made using basic materials, this wheel can be made in just a short amount of time, and your hamster will enjoy it for much longer!
Pallet swings are one of our favorite things, so why not treat your hamster to a miniature version using this design on Pinterest! This cute swing is another extremely easy project to make, and it’ll only be a couple of hours before your hamster can be hanging out on their new toy.
If your hamster loves hiding away while they sleep or snack on hidden food, this paper mache igloo from The Secret Life of My Hamster is a great way to give them a safe place to sleep, play, and eat! This is another easy project that’s suitable for kids. Once you’ve made the mold, you can create multiple igloos if you have more than one hamster.
Materials
Pringles tube
Small plastic bowl
Toilet paper
Tape
PVA glue
Plastic food wrap
Tools
Scissors
Paintbrush
4. Boredom Breaker Food Ball and More From Victoria Raechel
This YouTube video from Victoria Raechel includes plenty of great ideas on how to make hamster toys. Each DIY toy idea is sure to keep your hamster entertained. Most of them involve encouraging your hamster to forage for their food rather than eating it straight from a bowl. You won’t need any complicated equipment to get these boredom breakers set up either!
This extremely cute DIY Donut Tunnel from Erin’s Animals is another easy project that only needs minimal materials to create a fabulous toy for your hamster. Through the YouTube tutorial, Erin explains how you can adapt the size of this donut tunnel to suit your particular hamster.
Materials
Cardboard tube
Tissue
PVA glue
Pet-safe paint
Flour
Water
Tools
Pencil
Ruler
Scissors
6. DIY Paper Mache Hamster Playground by Victoria Raechel
Let your imagination run wild when creating this DIY Paper Mache Hamster Playground. The YouTube tutorial by Victoria Raechel includes plenty of ideas about how to structure this to suit different sizes of hamsters. Of course, you can also paint this using non-toxic paint once the shape is complete.
Materials
Baking flour
Water
Salt
Newspaper
Printer paper
Cardboard boxes
Tubes
Tools
Scissors
Paintbrush
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it! Learning how to make hamster toys is now simpler than ever! We hope you’re now feeling inspired to start creating.
Nicole is the proud mom of 3 rescue fur babies, Baby, a Burmese cat; Rosa, a New Zealand Huntaway; and Mac, a Lab/Mastiff. A Canadian expat, Nicole now lives on a lush forest property with her Kiwi husband and new baby daughter in New Zealand. She has a strong love for all animals of all shapes and sizes (and particularly loves a good interspecies friendship) and wants to share her animal knowledge and other experts' knowledge with pet lovers across the globe....Read more
