Q: It’s summer and the kids are constantly asking, “What can I do?” I was thinking it would be nice to involve them more in things with the animals, but they don’t show any interest in playing ball, walking the dogs or dangling things for the cat. Any ideas on how to get the kids more involved with the animals in our household? We have a two dogs and a cat.

A: Great question. It’s important that all members of the family take responsibility for the animals who share our homes. There are great craft ideas that can entertain both the kids and the animals. Here are some ideas:

A Cardboard Box: Growing up in a military family, I learned 101 things to do with a cardboard box and my animals. Large boxes make for the start of great forts that dogs, cats and kids enjoy hiding, reading and sleeping in. Crayons are great for decorating. Of course, young children will need supervision while cutting holes in the cardboard to make windows and doors. Hooking numerous boxes together can make great tunnels for all to crawl through.

Teaching a dog or cat to jump in and out of a box on cue can be a lot of fun. Just set the box on the ground, have some treats ready, and praise and reward any interactions the animals have with the box. Clever animals will soon be jumping in or on the box. Others may just push it around with their noses. Some may decide “recycling” is the most fun and rip the box apart in great joy. There are no rules (as long as everyone is safe), just anything that allows the children and animals lots of fun and entertainment with the box.

Smaller boxes can be used to make puzzle toys for animals. Cut small holes in the box and put treats or toys inside. A ping pong call in a box with holes just big enough for a cat paw can make hours of fun for a cat while batting the ball around in the box. Cut smaller holes and put treats inside for both dog and cat to bat around while the treats fall out.

Toilet Paper Tubes: These are great rolling toys for small dogs and cats. Put kibble inside the tube and then tape up both ends. The dogs and cats will have great fun rolling the tubes around while they figure out how to get inside. Eventually they will rip their “present” open and get their grand reward. You can also cut a small hole to allow the food to fall out when the tube is rolled for those who aren’t into ripping and tearing it open.

Rags and Catnip: If you have old T-shirts around, you can cut some circles out of the T-shirt material, put a couple of cotton balls and some catnip in the middle of the circle, and then gather it all up at the top and tie it with some string. Cats will have hours of fun grabbing, tossing, and rolling on these homemade catnip toys. Make sure the knot is tightly made so the toy is not easily opened. Throw away the cotton balls and fabric if the cat manages to chew it open.

All animals should always be monitored closely while playing with any toys to make sure they do not ingest or get stuck in a toy. (One of my dogs put his head in a hole of the fort and got it stuck there. He was fine, and it was comical to watch him try to walk with a box over his head, but it could have been dangerous if we hadn’t been right there to help—of course, after laughing for a few minutes!)

With a little ingenuity and a few safety precautions, homemade toys can be fun for the human and furry members of the family. If you have a digital camera, let the kids take pictures of their pets having fun with the toys they made and then you will have another craft project of putting together a photo album of fun furry friends. (Would have loved a video camera handy for the head stuck in the box!) Have a lovely summer!