Toys and Games for bored hamsters

[alpacassei]

My hybrids are outgrowing their cage and their new one won't arrive until next week so I need more ideas for toys and games to keep them happy since they're starting to dig at the edges of their cage like they want to escape. Should I starting taking them out the cage for playtime when they do that or would that just encourage it?

Right now they've got their wheel, some tunnels, a p@h 'climb and hide boredom breaker' and some dwarf friendly treat blocks hanging from the lid. I've also filled their cage with deep substrate and mixed in food and crushed mealworms for them to burrow and find which they've been loving.

Previously they've had see-saws (they got bored of that quickly) and the tube is now used as a regular tunnel, and tubing going from the floor of their cage up to their platform (can't do that any more because I upgraded their wheel and now the tubes would hit the wheel).

They're not territorial over their toys thank God, otherwise I'd have to try and fit twice as much stuff into their cage and that wouldn't go well.

My old WW would chase string but I've never had another hamster do that so I think he was just unique.

[CMB]

Food parcels are worth trying. Either small cardboard boxes or toilet tubes with food hidden inside. Check the thread for diy toys or even you tube.

You can even bury the parcel to make it harder. A small hole in the parcel can help the hamster smell what's inside.

Tissue and food can be nice inside. The tissue can be used for nest building.

[cypher]

It's difficult with a pair as you never know what they might get territorial over, a favourite thing with all may dwarfs is a plain old egg box with a few holes cut into it, you can hide food & treats in there with some substrate & they love having a good dig around.
I would get them out into the playpen or whatever you use for a safe play area together & see how they get on, you can use things like tubes & boxes in there for them to explore & forage in, just try to keep things so one can't trap the other anywhere.

[Goldie Flower]

I made some fun toys for my hams. I got a big sheet of cardboard and cut a load of even circles out of it, I then got some sticks I'd bought from the pet store for them to chew and I placed a number of cardboard circles down the stick so it rolled when they pushed it. The stick went through the middle of the circles. They had so much fun trying to work out how to hold it and finding there were two textures to nibble on. They destroy them in a few weeks but they spend hours with them while they do

[alpacassei]

Thank you!! I'll try all of these, I'm sure they'll have lots of fun