Things To Do With Your Pet Hamster

Most people who adopt a hamster do so for the sake of having a companion and a pet with which to interact. Hamsters are not like most other pets, though, and have unique needs and preferences. Would you like to interact with your hamster, but you’re are not sure what the two of you can do together?

What fun things can you do with your hamster? There are many fun things that your hamster would likely enjoy doing with you. Here are ten activities you can do with your hamster:

1. Take your hamster outside
2. Give your hamster toys
3. Build a maze for your hamster
4. Build an obstacle course for your hamster
5. Use a hamster ball
6. Teach your hamster tricks
7. Build your hamster a playhouse
8. Provide your hamster with a sand bath
9. Let your hamster try new treats
10. Play hide and seek with your hamster’s treats

To learn more about these hamster bonding exercises and activities, read on for information on each of these ideas.

10 Things To Do With Your Hamster

Fun Hamster Activity #1: Take Your Hamster Outside

Pet hamsters are not far removed from their wild ancestors, and all but the timidest of hamsters will enjoy enrichment time outside. This is an activity that can be enjoyed not just by your hamster but by you as well – watching our hamsters explore and discover an environment new to them is a rewarding past-time.

Of course, having fun is the #2 goal here, with safety being #1. Keeping this in mind, here are a couple of caveats to outside time:

• Supervision – when outside, your hamster should be supervised closely by you at all times. A bird of prey, the neighborhood cat, or other predators will look at your hamster as a quick meal and can make him disappear in no time. Don’t take your eyes off your pet.
• Containment – your hamster is quick, so make sure there is no way your hamster can easily escape. You may want to look into an exercise pen designed for small animals – it can be folded up and set aside when not in use and will act as a physical boundary for your hamster.
• Elements – hamsters are native to dry, arid regions. Don’t take your hamster outside for playtime if it is cold or rainy. Don’t forget about sprinklers – if you want to take your hamster to the grass, make sure it is dry before letting him play.

Fun Hamster Activity #2: Give Your Hamster Toys

If you look online or at your local pet store, you will see there are seemingly endless options for hamster toys. These include climbing apparatuses, dens, chew toys, ropes, and more. Hamsters enjoy having accessories in their enclosures with which to play, hide, and climb.

Don’t feel limited by the options sold in stores, either – you can make your own hamster “toys” out of toilet paper tubes, cardboard boxes, wood scraps, or even sticks found outside. As is the case with the first activity, watching your hamster explore new accessories is just as fun for you as it is for your pet. 

Fun Hamster Activity #3: Build A Maze For Your Hamster

Building a maze for your hamster provides a creative outlet for you and an enrichment opportunity for your pet. You can build a maze out of a variety of materials, including cardboard, shoe boxes, playing cards, books, or anything flat and stable that you have around the house.

If you need help getting started with a few ideas, look no further than Youtube – there are plenty of hamster maze videos online, from the most basic set-ups to more extravagant creations.

Just make sure that you watch your pet closely while she is in her maze – if she gets frustrated or tired, take her out and put her back in her enclosure. After all, you want these activities to be fun for both of you. 

Fun Hamster Activity #4: Build An Obstacle Course For Your Hamster

This activity is similar to a maze, but the idea is to give your hamster several obstacles to overcome that are both fun for her and mildly challenging. As with the maze, you can use treats to encourage your hamster to go in the direction intended.

You can use paper towel tubes as tunnels, hanging pipe cleaners through which your hamster can navigate, and rocks or other structures over which your hamster can climb.

You are only limited by your imagination, and as with the maze, building the course is half the fun – the other half is watching your hamster make his way through your creation. 

Fun Hamster Activity #5: Use A Hamster Ball

Another way that you can allow your hamster to explore a new environment in a safe way is through the use of a hamster ball. You can purchase a hamster ball at your local pet store or online; just make sure you get one large enough for your hamster to move without bending her back.

There are some safety precautions to keep in mind when it comes to hamster balls. Don’t leave your hamster in the ball for too long, as she will not have access to food or water while in the ball. Also, make sure the ball is not at the top of the stairs (or another incline) and that there are no pets or toddlers around to kick or play with the ball. 

Fun Hamster Activity #6: Teach Your Hamster Tricks

Another fun activity you can do with your hamster is teaching her tricks – this can be both challenging (for you and for your pet) and rewarding. However, hamsters are smarter than you might think!

Some fun and simple tricks to start out with are “stand” (or “beg”), “roll over,” “jump,” and “spin.” Of course, the best, and really only, motivator that will work for your hamster is the use of treats. Hamsters are very food-motivated, and you may be surprised at what they can learn by using their favorite tasty snacks.

Fun Hamster Activity #7: Build Your Hamster A Play House

If you have some scrap material and are handy with tools, this is another way to unleash your creativity and provide your hamster with a new and fun environment.

You can apply your imagination to build your hamster a new enclosure, a fun playhouse, or even a mini-playground. Just remember that hamsters love to chew, so if you build your pet a new permanent enclosure using wood, it will need to be thick enough to keep your hamster from escaping. 

Fun Hamster Activity #8: Provide Your Hamster A Sand Bath

If your hamster does not already have a sand bath in his enclosure, this is an excellent way to provide enrichment for him. Not only do hamsters love taking sand baths, but it will also be fun for you to watch your pet rolling around and grooming himself this way.

All you need is a sturdy container, large enough for your hamster to roll around in, and some sand (reptile sand is preferable, as chinchilla sand is too fine for a hamster’s respiratory system).

Fun Hamster Activity #9: Let Your Hamster Try New Treats

One simple way to bond with your hamster is by allowing him to try new treats. If you have had a hamster for more than a day, you’ll know that they are highly food-motivated. While treats should be offered sparingly, here are some fun ones to try if you haven’t already:

• Apple slices
• Baby carrots
• Peas
• Breakfast cereal (low-sugar, healthy options)
• Sunflower seeds
• Cucumber slices
• Raisins
• Grapes 
• Celery
• Leafy greens
• Crackers

Fun Hamster Activity #10: Play Hide And Seek With Your Hamster’s Treats

Playing hide and seek with your hamster’s treats is an excellent way to provide enrichment for your hamster and a fun observational opportunity for you. Hamsters are foragers by nature, and they use their noses to sniff out food.

You can take advantage of their instincts and their senses of smell by scattering, and even “hiding,” some of their favorite treats in their enclosures. You can lightly bury some treats in the substrate, you can put a treat in the far corner of your hamster’s den, and you can put a treat inside of a DIY tunnel.

Just make sure to keep an eye on your pet – if she doesn’t find all of the treats within a couple of hours, you should remove them from her home so that they do not end up becoming moldy and hazardous. 

What Other Fun Things Can You Do With Your Hamster?

This is anything but an exhaustive list of all of the fun things you can do with your hamster. As long as you are respectful of your hamster’s boundaries and personality and you are doing something that both of you enjoy, the possibilities are really endless.

Do you enjoy photography? If so, you can express your creativity through a photoshoot with your pet. Do you consider yourself a movie buff? Grab a couple of treats and a cozy blanket, and let your hamster nap on your lap while you watch a film.

If you have an easy-going hamster, the sky’s the limit when it comes to new and fun experiences. You can read more about hamsters in the articles below or find my latest content here!