A cardboard tunnel, a shallow tray, or a handful of suitable hay can give rabbits something interesting to investigate. You do not need to fill the room with elaborate toys. Start by watching what your rabbits choose to do, then offer activities that let them explore, forage, hide, and dig at their own pace.
These ten ideas are additions to a suitable permanent living environment, with adequate space, companionship, food, water, and resting places. They are not complete housing plans. Introduce changes gradually and supervise new materials. The images are AI-generated illustrations, so check the real dimensions, surfaces, and construction of anything you offer your rabbits.
1.) A Wide Cardboard Tunnel
A tunnel gives rabbits somewhere to investigate and move through, especially when both ends stay clearly open. Choose a diameter that comfortably accommodates your largest rabbit, including room around their body. Plain cardboard can work for supervised exploration if it is clean and free of tape, staples, coatings, and sharp edges. Stabilise the tunnel so it does not roll unexpectedly, and keep the surrounding floor grippy. Watch how your rabbits use it before adding more pieces. Remove it if they swallow substantial amounts of cardboard, or if chewing creates awkward openings. Replace damp or heavily damaged sections rather than trying to repair them with tape.
2.) A Shallow Digging Tray
A shallow digging tray can give rabbits an outlet for pawing and rearranging materials indoors. Start with a broad, stable container that is easy to enter, and use a suitable filling such as clean plain shredded paper. Introduce it while you can observe, checking whether your rabbits dig, sniff, or try eating the material. Avoid scented litter, dusty contents, and anything with staples or plastic mixed in. Keep the tray away from food and water that could become soiled. Empty and clean it regularly. If paper is being swallowed rather than simply moved around, remove it and seek advice about a more appropriate filling.
3.) A Loose-Hay Foraging Tray
Foraging can be as simple as spreading fresh feeding hay loosely through a wide tray. A small portion of the rabbits’ usual measured pellets can be scattered among it, giving them a reason to nose around without adding an extra meal. Keep the task easy at first so food remains accessible. Replace hay when it becomes damp or dirty and continue offering their normal feeding arrangements. Do not turn an enrichment activity into a reason to restrict hay. A tray is especially useful for containing some of the mess, but it should be roomy enough that a rabbit can investigate without squeezing into a corner.
4.) A Two-Exit Cardboard Hide
A plain cardboard hide can provide shelter and an interesting route through the play area. Cut at least two generous openings so a rabbit can enter and leave without feeling cornered. Check the openings against the size of your actual rabbits, not a generic template. Remove packaging fasteners and any loose tape before the box reaches the floor. Choose a stable box that will not collapse onto an animal, and inspect it after enthusiastic chewing. Let rabbits use the hide quietly; avoid reaching inside to pull them out. Replace soiled cardboard promptly, and remove it if either rabbit is ingesting substantial quantities.
5.) A Hay-Stuffed Open Cardboard Tube
A short cardboard tube loosely filled with hay can offer a small, manageable investigation task. Slit the tube along its length so it cannot form a rigid ring around a rabbit’s head. Keep both ends open and avoid packing hay so tightly that it is difficult to pull out. Place it on the floor instead of hanging it with string. Watch the first sessions closely, then inspect the tube for damage and remove it if cardboard is being swallowed. The hay should be ordinary suitable feeding hay. This is an optional activity alongside easy access to their usual food, rather than a replacement for it.
6.) A Plain Paper Foraging Pile
A few loosely crumpled sheets of plain paper can create an inexpensive searching activity. Scatter a little of the rabbits’ normal pellet allowance between the sheets, keeping everything easy to find. Avoid wrapping food into tightly sealed parcels or adding tape, ribbons, and handles. Begin with a small amount of paper so you can see how each rabbit responds. Some will nudge and rearrange it; others may have little interest. Remove paper that becomes wet or heavily chewed, especially if pieces are being swallowed. Keep the activity on a suitable nonslip surface, and clear it away before it starts obstructing the rabbits’ normal movement.
7.) A Rabbit-Safe Willow Chew
A few rabbit-safe twigs can add a different texture to explore and chew. Willow is one option identified in Rabbit Welfare Association guidance, but sourcing matters: use correctly identified, untreated material that has not been exposed to pesticides or roadside contamination. Avoid painted decorative branches, unknown garden prunings, and craft bundles held together with glue or wire. Offer a small selection on the floor and inspect it regularly for sharp or damaged sections. If you are uncertain about the plant or its treatment, leave it out. Chew items supplement a suitable environment and diet; they do not replace hay or veterinary dental care.
8.) An Open Exploration Route
An exploration route works best when it leaves plenty of clear floor between objects. Space a few familiar tunnels and hides apart, with more than one way to move around them. Resist filling every gap with another toy, particularly when two rabbits share the area. Watch whether both can pass freely or whether one blocks a narrow section. Keep familiar resting places and essential resources easy to reach while changing only a small part of the layout. Check floor grip and remove anything unstable. The interest comes from choosing a route and investigating, not from making rabbits complete a course or forcing them through obstacles.
9.) A Low Stable Lookout
A very low, broad platform can offer a different viewpoint for rabbits who move confidently and choose to climb. It needs a stable base, a grippy top, and an easy approach, such as a shallow secure ramp. Avoid tall drops, narrow ledges, exposed fasteners, and gaps that could catch a foot. Check that the materials are suitable for rabbits who may chew the edges. Introduce it under observation and remove it if they slip or struggle. Older rabbits or those with mobility problems may do better with floor-level activities, so seek veterinary advice when uncertain. Height is not necessary for successful enrichment.
10.) A Second Hiding Spot
Providing another hide can create more choice within an existing play area. Place it far enough from the first that rabbits have separate options, and give each shelter more than one adequately sized exit. Keep the route between them open rather than linking everything into a tight maze. Observe whether both rabbits can use the shelters comfortably and whether either animal guards an entrance. Enrichment should not require them to compete for one desirable spot. Retain familiar scent cues when making changes, while replacing wet or damaged materials. A new hiding place should remain somewhere they can enter voluntarily and leave without disturbance.
Let Your Rabbits Choose the Activity
Begin with one or two options, leave plenty of open space, and notice which activities your rabbits return to. Refresh soiled materials and retire damaged items before adding something new. A simple setup that supports their normal behaviour is more useful than a crowded display. If an activity causes frustration, slipping, or unwanted ingestion, stop and adapt it.
Further Reading
For the welfare guidance behind these ideas, see the Rabbit Welfare Association’s enrichment guide, its advice on cardboard safety and hiding places, and RSPCA rabbit enrichment guidance. These sources support the general activity and material choices; the pictured layouts are illustrative.
