School’s out: fun for kids and hamsters

Looking for screen-free entertainment for your child this summer? Now that school’s out, fun for kids and hamsters is never in short supply. Summer break is the perfect time for children to bond with their small pets, and maybe even learn new things along the way. Find out why summer is the perfect time to get a hamster, and how your children can benefit from these fun little companions. 

Hamster husbandry

Hamsters are generally easy to care for, making them ideal pets for older children. Since they’re nocturnal, they’ll wake up as most younger children are heading to bed, so they’re best suited for older kids. And, with their small size and quick movements, it’s safer for older children and adults to handle them. 

Like other pets, hamsters can help teach children responsibility and other life lessons. Here are some of the ways that having a hamster can benefit your family this summer.  

Responsibility made fun 

Caring for a hamster helps teach responsibility and builds routine for kids while they’re out of school. Have your child help create a schedule for their hamster to help teach time management skills and consistency. Create a checklist or another tangible task-tracking system to help keep your child motivated and accountable. 

Animal antics 

Watching a hamster build nests, stuff their cheeks, explore tunnels, and interact with their environment sparks curiosity in children. Through careful handling and interaction, your child can be more in tune with subtle changes in their hamster, which helps teach empathy and attentiveness. Encourage your child to keep a diary to see what patterns emerge from their hamster’s routines, and to pinpoint any potential variations that could signal illness or injury. 

A little bit of science 

Hamsters are excellent nocturnal animals to observe. Their late night antics include feeding and grooming, which can serve as great lessons in biology and the natural rhythms of animals. And, as animals with an abundance of energy, older children can calculate approximate distances run on their hamster wheel, or calories burned through observation and formulas. 

Small pet playtime 

Looking for a summertime companion? Hamsters are sure to bring entertainment to your child’s evenings all summer long. Here are some ways your child can enjoy interacting with their hamsters during their waking hours. 

The right habitat 

An ideal hamster habitat allows your child to easily observe their hamster while it’s awake. Transparent sides allow your child to view their furry friend go about their business, giving them a front row view of a hamster’s busy evenings. Choose a central location for your hamster’s habitat, and avoid placing them in bedrooms, as their nocturnal activities can wake sleeping children. Provide plenty of stimulation inside their habitat to keep your hamster’s mind sharp and body toned, which will also keep your child entertained.  

DIY toys and treats 

Hamsters are pretty easy to please and enjoy a variety of enriching elements. Aside from a hamster wheel, hamster tunnels, hamster ramps and platforms, and hamster sand baths, DIY toys can go a long way in entertaining your small pet. Create mazes from recycled materials like cardboard boxes and toilet roll tubes.

Bonus activities 

A hamster playpen is a great accessory for all hamster owners to have. This solid area provides space outside of their habitat for exploration and enrichment, and gives children a chance to interact with their pet on their own level. Help your child create a tunnel maze or obstacle course for their hamster, or hide treats around the playpen to watch your pet forage for food. 

Younger children can get involved with caring for the family hamster as well, even if they may not be old enough to handle them safely. Activities your child can do with their hamster without removing them from their habitat include: 

• Story time with a tiny audience — let your child read to their hamster to familiarize them with the sound of their voice and to make summer reading more fun 
• Let your children decorate the outside of the hamster’s habitat with seasonal decor 
• Ask your child to help create a theme for the interior of the habitat and pick out hamster-safe decor and elements that support the aesthetic 
• Drawing or taking pictures of their hamster (remember to turn the flash off to avoid hurting their sensitive eyes)

Hamster dos and don’ts 

Because hamsters are small prey animals, their instincts predispose them to quick reactions and movements. Gentle and proper handling techniques should be taught to all members of the family, with young children avoiding handling them altogether. Hamsters are known to bite out of fear or pain, which can almost always be avoided through proper handling and socialization. Here are some hamster dos and don’ts. 

Do: 

• Keep your hamster’s area quiet and calm, especially while interacting with them 
• Make sure your hamster is housed in a secure habitat with thoughtful placement within your home 
• Teach children the importance of respecting animals and recognizing hamster body language 
• Encourage your children to take an active role in their hamster’s care 

Don’t: 

• Make sudden movements or noises around your hamster 
• Wake your hamster up during the day 
• Feed your hamster treats by hand 

Omlet and your hamster 

With Omlet, your child can have a summer to remember with their favorite furry companion. Our hamster habitat is designed to delight parents and children of all ages, while creating the ideal environment for these enigmatic pets. Add hamster ramps and platforms for more opportunities to view your pet in action, or provide hamster tunnels in a small animal playpen to allow your child’s imagination run wild. With so much screen-free summer fun, your child will spend the season making memories that will last a lifetime. 

This entry was posted in Hamsters