Our four-legged family may be loving our sudden increase in time spent indoors, but as we look to keep ourselves entertained, we need to look no further than our furry companions.

We can help enrich our pets’ lives with mentally and physically stimulating toys that aren’t just fun for your pet but also a fun way to keep you and your kids entertained from home.

While a variety of enrichment games and toys are available to purchase, you can easily make enrichment toys from things you already have in your home.

Before you get started, please take care to make sure your materials are clean and safe for your pets. We also recommend supervising your pets while they play to ensure their new enrichment activity doesn’t just become a chew toy!

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Fun with cardboard

While a cardboard box is always a favourite for cats, cardboard tubes are another versatile material to make fun games for animals of all sizes. Attach a few rolls together to make a mouse-sized maze for mice to explore. Treats can also be hidden inside rolls with the ends crunched as a simple toy to challenge your pooch.

The nose knows

Muffin trays or egg cartons can be easily used to put your pets’ nose to the test. Using a clean, empty tray, place some of your pet’s favourite treats in the tray and hide them by placing toys like tennis balls on top. If you don’t have toys small enough handy, scrunched-up newspaper works just as well to get your pet thinking!

Similarly, old shirts, blankets or flannelette sheets can easily become toys. Snuffle mats are simple to make and can be made in your favourite colours. They’re especially good for hiding treats to be sniffed out or entertaining your pooch for hours. Spare fabric can also be rolled up with hidden treats or braided to use for tug of war.

For dogs who like to make noise, empty plastic bottles can be wrapped in a shirt or a thick sock for a simple yet fun toy. Empty plastic bottles can also be used to fill a makeshift ball pit with hidden treats underneath, or place a treat inside a bottle and see how long it takes for your pooch to tease it out.

Backyard treats for the senses

For some much-needed family time out in the yard, consider creating a sensory garden in your backyard for your pooch. A sensory garden is a space for your dog to explore and stimulate all of their senses: smell, sight, sound, touch and taste. Check our article on sensory gardens for more suggestions on how to build your own!

You can also repurpose a shell pool into a puppy pool or a low-cost sand or dirt pit to dig in.

For more tips and tricks from RSPCA experts about how to care for your dog and provide enrichment, head over here. And if you have any other crafty ideas for enrichment toys for your pets, be sure to share them with us in the comments below!