Hamster toys do much more than provide hours of entertainment for your little guy. They also give your pet a much needed workout. Not all hamster toys provide the same type of exercise though. Much like humans, hamsters need to practice a variety of different activities in order to maintain a healthy body. Luckily for us, there are plenty of different toys on the market that give our little buddies all the exercise they need.  These toys are available in a number of different places.  Pet stores at your local mall are alright but I prefer buying these items online.  There's more to choose from and this way, you get exactly what you want!  So where should you start? Consider the following common hamster toys and the benefits they provide for your pet.

A toy that is absolutely synonymous with hamsters now is the hamster wheel. 
It's very uncommon to find a hamster cage without a wheel in it.  There is a
very simple reason for this.  Hamster wheels provide your pet with a bit of
basic exercise while keeping him entertained and out of trouble.  It also
has the advantage of being small enough to fit in a cage.  Your hamster can run to his heart's delight without even leaving the comfort of his own
little home.  Perfect!  The one thing you kind of have to worry about when
selecting a hamster wheel is it's size in relationship to your pet.  If it's
too big or too small, there is a chance that your hamster won't use his new
toy.

Hamster wheels are great for when your little guy is at home in his cage but
what if you want to give him the chance to explore?  Luckily for us and our
pets, the Round-About allows for this.  This toy doesn't doesn't look like a
whole lot to our eyes.  It is, after all, nothing more than a transparent
plastic ball.  To our hamsters, though, this simple piece of round plastic
means one thing - Freedom!  I love the Round-About as much as my hamster
does.  All I have to do is put him inside the ball and let him rip!  He gets
his exercise and I get the pleasure of watching him bump into things. 
Although these toys protect your pet extremely well, he should still be
supervised while using his Run-About.

Running is a very important part of your hamsters exercise schedule but it
shouldn't be the only thing he does. Another really good workout for your
active little guy involves climbing. Now you don't want him climbing all
over your furniture so consider getting him toys to climb on. A lot of
these toys also serve a decorative purpose as well. Nothing is more boring
than an empty cage. Jazz it up with some houses or trees! They'll look
great and allow your hamster to play monkey games. The one thing you should think about before buying these items is the material they're made out of. Make sure that their not toxic in anyway. We all know how much hamsters
like to chew stuff and we don't want to make our pets to get sick.

Besides climbing and running, what else do hamsters like to do? Well, if your little guy is anything like mine, he probably loves to dig. There are no real "digging toys" that I know of but this doesn't mean we can't improvise! Why not give your hamster a sandbox to play around in? You should fill it with normal sand or sterilized soil. This way, we'll keep your pet nice and safe. Another thing I like to do is give my hamster a big pile of "Fullers Earth" to roll around in. They love this stuff! An added bonus is the fact that this stuff is really good for their fur. Your hamster will be the envy of all his friends when they see his new shiny coat.

Although not really an exercise, per se, chewing is still an important part of life for most hamsters.  Don't discourage your little buddy from chewing on things.  You need to accept that he's going to do it anyway and then help him along.  Really the only thing to consider when choosing a chew toy is the material.  I find that most hamsters prefer wood for their teeth.  Choose something that's not to hard.  Evergreens, for example, don't make good chewing toys.  Another option you have on this front is to buy a chew toy from your local pet shop.  Double check to make sure that it's a non-toxic product though.  If you really don't want to spend the money, cardboard is a perfectly viable option.  Again, make sure that what you're letting your pet chew on isn't poisonous.  It's best to stick with non-colored materials.  You can find an abudance of good chewing cardboard around your home.  Toilet paper rolls are probably the most popular option.

I think I've covered most of your standard hamster toys here.  As you can see, they clearly do more than entertain your pet.  Give your little guy a variety of different toys to use.  He'll be happier and healthier for it!

I'd like to hear what others use for hamster toys.  Drop me a line!