My kids have been begging to get a dog for ages, but they are too much to handle as it is, and along with a dog 🐕, our house would be under constant chaos.
But I agreed that we did need a furry friend around the house, maybe one that isn’t as high maintenance as a dog.
So, we recently got two guinea pigs 🐹 for the family. And they are adorable. My kids want to play with them all of the time, feed them new things, see their reactions, and decorate their living space in cool ways.
All of this is incredible because it teaches my kids that being responsible for an animal requires a lot of work.
Fascinating guinea pig activities for children
Like cats and dogs 🐕, Guinea pigs require mental and physical stimulation. If you have kids, involving them in the care of the guinea pigs can be extremely rewarding as they’ll understand the responsibility of taking care of a little creature that is dependent on them.
In this article, I will disclose some of the activities, snack ideas, and DIY cage improvements for the guinea pigs 🐹 that you can do with your children.
DIY Snuggle Sack
Guinea pigs are prey animals, and so they love a good hideout spot that keeps them warm and cosy. My daughter got this idea after she was unpacking her Christmas 🎄socks.
What you need- Fleece, sewing machine, thread, and scissors ✂️.
Steps-
- Take your child to a craft store and ask them to pick their favorite fleece print. You’ll require less than a meter of fabric for two sacks.
- Make two rectangles on the back of the fleece fabric at home that are at least 5 to 6 inches longer than your guinea pig 🐹.
- Cut these rectangles out with fabric scissors and use a sewing machine to stitch them into a sock 🧦. You can also use fabric glue to make this sack if you can’t work a sewing machine.
Pro tip- You can let your children decorate this sack with materials that are safe for guinea pigs.
Veggie Taste Test
Veterinarians advise guinea pig owners to feed their guinea pigs 🐹half a cup to a cup of vegetables daily, especially ones rich in vitamin C.
I recommend having a small taste test for your guinea pig before you introduce some new vegetables to their diet.
Here is what my kids and I decided to serve our guinea pigs- leafy green lettuce, arugula, turnip greens, parsnip, cabbage, broccoli, carrots 🥕, basil, mint, watercress, and raspberry leaves.
Introduce Your Guinea Pigs to Plants and Herbs
Wild guinea pigs spend most of their days foraging for different plants, grass, and herbs for sustenance. Some plants are incredibly beneficial for your guinea pigs 🐹as well and can be grown in your backyard.
My daughter and son researched (looked it up on the internet) what plants are healthy for guinea pigs.
These plants are- marigolds, plantain, dandelion, chickweed, coltsfoot, and white clover. Guinea pigs 🐹 also really enjoy fresh grass.
If you are growing these plants in your backyard, do not treat these plants with chemicals like pesticides, and avoid plants where your dogs have been toileting.
Guinea Pig Sock Craft
If your life is hectic with kids and work, and you are not ready to commit to bringing home a pet for your children, then this adorable pet craft might stop your children from pestering.
You need Old socks 🧦, glue, cotton balls, googly eyes, pom pom, and fabric marker.
Steps-
- Help your children fill the sock with cotton balls. Glue the end of the sock shut.
- Glue two googly eyes on the front of the sock 🧦 and use different-coloured pom poms to make the ears and nose.
- Show your child how to use a fabric marker, and then let them add other features to the sock guinea pig.
Encourage Your Kids to Make an Obstacle Course for Your Guinea Pigs with Household Items
Guinea Pigs 🐹, like most pets, need mental stimulation. Your kids can offer their pet guinea pigs this stimulation by building them an obstacle course with their toys, pillows, books, and bedspreads.
Usually, keep a surprise treat at the end of the obstacle to motivate your guinea pigs to complete the course.
This is one of my children’s favourite pastime activities after dinner. Our guinea pigs 🐹seem to enjoy it just as much as well. Make sure to keep an eye 👀on the guinea pigs while they are outside their cage. Your kids can design the course with a dog 🐕 playpen.
Fruit Test Taste
Just like with fresh vegetables, your guinea pigs also receive a lot of nutrients from fresh fruits. Gradually introduce different fruits to your guinea pig’s diet to avoid diarrhoea.
If you notice that your guinea pig 🐹 is not doing well after eating the fruits, like they are constipated or have loose stool, then stop feeding them that fruit.
My kids and I gave our guinea pigs strawberries, kiwis, oranges, and blueberries. While they completely rejected the oranges, they loved the blueberries.
Pro Tip– Remove the seeds before serving the fruits to your guinea pigs 🐹.
Guinea Pig Fingerprint Craft
Help your toddler make a portrait of their guinea pig pet using their fingers.
What you need- Construction paper, pencil, and non-toxic paint.
Steps-
- Draw a generic guinea pig 🐹 on a blank construction paper.
- Ask your child to use their finger to fill in the colour so it looks just like their guinea pig.
Indoor Grass Growing Tray
Eating grass is really important for a healthy guinea pig 🐹as it is rich in fibre and easy to digest. Guinea pigs also love spending time playing on grass.
So, if you have no access to a lawn or a backyard, I recommend growing some grass in a tray or a planting pot for your guinea pigs.
What you need- Grass seeds, soil, pebbles, and a shallow container, like a pot or a tray.
Steps-
- Line a pot with proper drainage with a generous layer of pebbles or gravel.
- Cover the pebbles with soil and sprinkle the seeds in the soil.
- Gently press the seeds into the soil with your knuckles.
- Water the pot until the soil is damp.
- Place the pot near a window that receives plenty of direct sunlight.
Once the grass starts growing, you can put your guinea pig 🐹on top of it for some direct grass play.
Tug-of-War
Encourage your kids to play a game of tug-of-war with their guinea pig pets with this simple DIY.
What you need- Sock, hay, and guinea pig treats.
Steps-
- Help your child fill a sock with some hay and guinea pig 🐹 treats.
- Tie the knot on the sock to keep the hay from falling out.
- Now, your children can play tug-of-war with the guinea pigs.
- Start by showing your guinea pigs the sock 🧦and letting them sniff it.
- Once they show interest in the sock, hold it from one end and initiate play.
- The guinea pigs might need some persuasion in the beginning, but once they get the hang of it, they’ll even start playing with each other.
Guinea Pig Treat Chase
My guinea pigs 🐹 loved chasing the treats around the house as my kids pulled the strings.
What you need- A treat and a string.
Tie a string around a treat, like a cucumber or a carrot 🥕, and ask your child to drag the string around the house.
If you have a dog 🐕, then I recommend doing this activity when they are not around or can’t get to the guinea pigs.
Blanket and Pillow Fort For Guinea Pigs
Guinea pigs love to be inside a cosy hideout spot that they can also explore, and what is cosier than a blanket fort? My daughter got the idea to make this fort after spending a night at her friend’s house.
What you need- A pet playpen, old blankets and pillows, scissors ✂️, and safety pins.
My daughter and I started by cutting the old blanket into half and quarter sheets. We then arranged the pillows and blankets in such a way that there was room for our guinea pigs 🐹 to explore. Once we were happy with our structure, we introduced it to our guinea pigs.
Pro tip- If you have a smaller cage or some toys and slides for guinea pigs, you can put them inside the playpen, along with some water and snacks.
Introduce Your Guinea Pigs to Chew Sticks
Guinea pigs love to chew, and there is a very good reason for doing so. My kids taught me this fact after they did some extensive research on guinea pigs before we got our guinea pigs 🐹.
Guinea pigs can chew on their cage and other toys because they are bored, nervous, lonely, or simply want attention, but they do so also because they are trimming their teeth.
Unlike humans and most animals, a guinea will continue to grow their teeth throughout its life. This can be painful for them, and they comfort themselves by grinding their teeth and chewing on stuff.
To encourage chewing, you can give your guinea pigs empty paper rolls, twigs, wooden blocks, cardboard boxes, grass mats, toys, hay sticks, and wooden sticks.
Freeze-Dried Treats Taste Test
If you own a food dehydrator at home, then put it to good use by dehydrating some vegetables and fruits for your little furry pet.
I asked my kids to help me cut some of the guinea pigs’ favourite fruits and vegetables into tiny pieces. We then dehydrated them and froze them because it was boiling. We think that the guinea pigs 🐹 enjoyed this snack.
Kiddie Pool Playpen for Guinea Pigs
In the summers, I want my kids to spend as much time as possible outside or in our backyard, where we play games or even do summer homework.
This summer, we decided to include our guinea pigs 🐹 into the fun by letting them roam around in a kiddie pool in the backyard.
We put hay, freshly cut grass, and some of their toys in the pool to make things comfortable for the guinea pigs. Make sure to keep an eye 👀 on the guinea pigs while they are outside.
DIY Guinea Pig Veggie Frozen Cubes
This guinea pig 🐹 veggie frozen cube is a great summer treat for your guinea pigs.
What you need- Ice cube tray, carrots, cucumbers, water, and apples.
Steps-
- After washing and chopping the carrots 🥕, cucumbers, and apples, place them in a blender.
- Add some water and blend until a smooth consistency is achieved.
- Use an ice cream or spoon to scoop the mixtures into the ice cube tray and freeze until set.
- Before serving to the guinea pigs, let the veggie cubes sit at room temperature for 30 seconds to a minute.
Read Books about Guinea Pigs
As we prepared to welcome guinea pigs into our family, I encouraged my children to read several books featuring guinea pigs 🐹.
Many of these fictional children’s books are incredible, oftentimes very funny and tender. They are also beautifully illustrated.
I recommend the following children’s books- I Love Guinea Pigs by Dick King-Smith, Sammy the Classroom Guinea Pig by Alix Berenzy, Gordon’s Guide to Caring for Your Guinea Pigs by Isabel Thomas, and Do You Really Want a Guinea Pig? By Bridget Heos.
Soda Can Hideout Craft
Help your children make this cute soda can hideout for your guinea pigs.
What you need- A box cutter, empty soda cans, tape, scissors✂️, and acrylic paints.
Steps-
- Carefully show your kids how to use a box cutter and cut the top of the soda can for the guinea pigs 🐹to come in and out of the soda can.
- Soften the cut corners by covering them with tape.
- Ask your child to paint over the soda can with their favourite colour. Let it dry before decorating it with other art and craft supplies.
- Add some hay to the soda can and put it in your guinea pig’s enclosure.
Improve your Guinea Pig’s Cage
Guinea pigs might be small, but they are mighty. They are full of energy, and sometimes, this energy can be expressed negatively if they are not being stimulated. Therefore, it is advised to add odd things to their cages every now and then to keep them stimulated.
Add tunnels to their cages, fleece strips, paper strips, paper bags, wooden structures, hiding places, a maze, and grass chew ball treats. My kids and I also like to provide the guinea pigs 🐹 with as much outside time as possible.
Christmas Treat for Guinea Pigs
This Christmas, help your children make the perfect treat for your cute guinea pigs.
What you need- A cup of guinea pig pellets, thinly diced red pepper, a cup of water, hay, and chopped parsley.
Steps-
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a mixing bowl, mix a cup of guinea pig 🐹 pellets and half a cup of water to soften the pellets.
- Add the chopped red pepper, half a cup of hay, and parsley to the bowl and mix.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place a cookie cutter on a baking sheet and place the mixture into it. Repeat the process.
- Bake the treat in the oven until the treat looks dry and can easily hold its shape. Let the treats cool down, and you can feed them to the guinea pigs.
Pro Tip- To store these treats, let them cool down completely and store them in a ziplock bag or an airtight container.
Conclusion
I hope you were inspired by the activities and snack idea listed above for guinea pigs 🐹 and can encourage your kids to participate in facilitating them.
With these activities, I saw my children’s self-esteem and confidence increase as they were taught to be responsible for the happiness and care of another living creature.
This can be an incredible learning curve for children as it teaches them compassion, respect, and kindness for all creatures.
In the comments below, let us know what were your children’s favourite activities and whether your guinea pigs 🐹 enjoyed any of the snacks mentioned above.
I’m a former teacher (and mother of Two Childs) with a background in child development. Here to help you with play-based learning activities for kids. ( Check my Next startup Cledemy.Com)