The Toy Box

On this page I will post pictures, reviews and directions on the various homemade bunny toys you could make for your furry children.  Bunnies are no different than human children when it comes to toys.  They would much rather have the box than the fancy, expensive toy you bought them.  

Bunnies need toys for stimulation to prevent depression and destruction due to boredom.  Be sure all toys are made with bunny safe materials, chemical-free, and are safe to chew.  I like to tell friends that if they won't give it to their human baby don't give it to my bunny baby.  

Hay Tube Toys

This is one of the easiest handmade toys you can make for your rabbit.  This toy gets rave reviews from the rabbits at the rescue.  

To make this toy you will need cardboard tubes and plenty of timothy hay.  All you need to do is grab a handful of hay and stuff them into the tubes.  Try to pack as much hay into the tubes as you can.  Lastly, give them to the bunny.  

                                

Now, let the fun and bunstruction begin!

  

                      Gytha is checking out the new toy.        My babies love fighting over the hay tube. 

Diggy Box

A diggy box is a simple toy that allows bunnies to dig in something that is safe for them.  Diggy boxes can be made in plastic tubs, cardboard boxes or I used an extra laundry basket.  I made the twins a simple diggy box using the laundry basket, newspaper and hay.  First I shredded the newspaper until I felt that the basket was full.  Then I sprinkled some hay into the newspaper and toss it together.  The hay was motivation to get the twins into the basket.  Lastly, I put the diggy box in the family room and waited for the twins to come check it out.  They enjoyed playing in it for a while but then Mo decided to turn it over and spread the newspaper all over the floor.  * Note to reader- Our twins tend to have more fun finding ways to out smart or use their toys in ways I would not expect. Hence, knocking the diggy box over and throwing the paper everywhere. :) 

Bunny Hurdles

I found a picture of these online once and thought they would be fun for the twins.  Maybe I could get them to hop over them and make an obstacle course for them to play in.  Well, I was wrong.  Mo will knock them over then hop off to do something else.  Louie on the other hand, will eat the sticks so he can walk through the hurdle.  So unfortunately, these toys were not popular with my two but maybe your bunnies will enjoy them.  

For this toy you will need: cardboard tubes, willow sticks or apple twigs and scissors (or I switched to a screwdriver). 

Step 1.  

Poke a hole into a toilet paper or other cardboard tube.  I did this at first with scissors but then changed to a screwdriver later to avoid impaling my hand (I'm a klutz so sharp scissors were probably not a good idea).  Next, poke a hole in the same location into another tube of the same length. 

Step 2.

Put one end of an untreated willow stick or apple twig into the hole.  

Step 3.

Then, put the other end of the stick into the hole of the second tube.

Now, your hurdle is complete!  Hopefully your bunny with actually play with their new hurdle and not just EAT it.  ;)

Below is another version of the bunny hurdle you could make.

 Bunny Calzone

Here's another toy I found online and the bunnies LOVED it.  It is pretty simple to make and doesn't need a lot of materials.  This is a messy toy so if you don't want hay everywhere you may want to give your bunny this toy inside their pen/play area.  For this toy you will need:  bunny safe paper (I used the brown paper they put in packing boxes), hay, some pellets or treats and scissors.  

Step 1.

 Cut a piece of your paper to be about the size of a dinner plate.  I rounded the top and bottom so when it's folded it will look more like a calzone (I'm sorry, my photographer did not get a picture of the paper before I started step 2).

Step 2.

Cut some hay and lay it onto the center of the paper.  Next, you can choose to sprinkle a few pellets onto the hay (like I did) or add a treat or two.  

Step 3. 

Now, fold the 2 ends so they meet.  Then you can begin rolling the edges together just like you would if you were making a real calzone. I started on the right side and worked my way around to the left.  When I got to the left side, I stopped long enough to stuff just a little more hay into the calzone.  Then I began rolling up the edges again.  

Here is the finished calzone.  I did cut 2 small Xs into the top for our foster bunny Theo.  Since he is missing his incisors, I knew he would have to rely on digging to rip it open so the Xs gave him a good starting place.  

Theo LOVES this calzone toy.  He destroyed it in no time.  

Even bunnies with no incisors need and LOVE to play with toys.

Twisted Ball

This is another toy that our twins loved playing with.  Again, a word of caution that is a messy toy so you may want to take that into consideration.  We let our babies play with the toy in their room so they didn't spread hay all over the house.  For this toy you will need: paper lunch bags, hay, scissors and so muscles (I'm a weakling so Damon made these toys for me ;) ).

Step 1. 

A.  First, you want to fold over the bottom of the lunch bag like seen above.

B. Next, cut off that bottom as seen above to make the bag open at both ends.  

Step 2. 

Then, you need to get a good hand full of hay and keep compressing it into a ball shape.  Beware that the hay may poke you some so be careful.  You want the ball of hay to be about the size of a baseball.

Step 3. 

Next, place the ball of hay into the center of the bag while holding it in that position with your other hand.  

Step 4. 

Now, twist one of the ends tightly like a candy wrapper.  Do the same to the other end and you are done. 

 

Louie LOVED this toy.  As soon as I gave it to him he ran off to a corner of their room with it in his mouth.  I think he was trying to hide so his sister, Mo wouldn't take it.  Luckily for him, she was enjoying her own twisted ball.