Animal-Specific Games

Try these projects with your child.

Small animals won't fetch tennis balls or snatch Frisbees out of the air, but you can still play fun games with them. Many can be used for various animal species.

Wrap a present for your Gerbil.

Grab one or two sheets of facial tissue, unscented andwithout lotions. Spread flat and put some treats in the middle. Fold the tissue and roll it up. Now, loosely tie the ends in a knot. Push the bundle into an empty toilet paper tube. Put that in the middle of a sheet of paper withoutink or coatings, and roll it up. Twist the ends so it now looks like a giant Tootsie Roll. Just give it to your critter and watch him unwrap it!

Making a Rat or Mouse snowflake is easy.

Start with a regular sheet of plain paper without ink or coatings. Fold it in half, then in half again, and once again. The paper should now be about 2 3/4" X 4 1/4". Let your rat or mouse chew on it for a while. Remove the paper, and open it up. It may be one giant snowflake that you can proudly display next to the cage.

Building a Hamster maze is easier than it sounds.

Your kids can assemble one or several using paper tubes from a roll of wrapping paper or toilet paper, shoe boxes, cereal boxes, PVC tubing, and oatmeal containers. They're fun to put together and even more fun to watch the hamster figure out! Place the maze in a large play area so your entire family can see, and let your critter run through it.

Ferrets have an instinct to dig and tunnel.

Embrace this by creating a "dive box," which is a box filled with packing peanuts made of corn or potato starch, in case your ferret eats one. Find a sturdy cardboard box about 24" X 14" X 14". Fill it with the packing peanuts or shredded paper and hide several toys in it. Your ferret will enjoy the challenge and fun. In fall, fill it with leaves. In winter, use snow! You may want to use a plastic tub for the snow.

Your child can play "Human Jungle Gym" with your chinchilla.

Chinchillas may not enjoy being handled as much as some small animals, but they do like interacting with people. Have him/her sit still on the floor and let the chinchilla crawl all over. The chinchilla may run away if your child tries to pet it, but it will come back for more play. This simple game strengthens the bond between pet and human.

Play hide-n-seek with your Guinea Pig.

Guinea Pigs are less playful than most small animals, but they do enjoy interaction with kids. Make a maze of blocks or bricks in a controlled area and put treats throughout. This hide-n-seek game will keep the Guinea Pig busy and your child guessing.

A simple obstacle/jump game can entertain most Rabbits.

Find some obstacles that are rabbit-sized. Use the Rabbit's favorite treat to entice him/her to jump over or around the obstacle or run through a tunnel. Another game uses a hard plastic baby rattle to get the Rabbit's attention. Shake it, place it on the ground near the Rabbit, and have your child guess how far he/she will toss it.