As caregivers we strive to provide the best lives we can for our beloved residents. Enrichment is a key part to ensuring they have engaging experiences that promote curiosity, natural behaviors, positive challenges, and even feelings of safety and contentment. We know that time, energy, and organizational challenges can be a lot to juggle which is why we have several resources covering those very things! We also know that money can be part of the challenge when trying to plan a successful enrichment program. This brief resource pulls from our up and coming “Time To Thrive: Developing A Successful Enrichment Program” guide (Publication date December 2026), providing a list of free and inexpensive enrichment ideas. Some forms of enrichment are more costly, both in terms of time and money. So what do you do when you don’t have much of either? Let’s break this down into three areas:

1. What to do with what’s around you
2. Volunteers and supporters
3. The broader community

What To Do With What’s Around You?

Take a moment to observe the space around you through the lens of enrichment. Go for a walk around the sanctuary, both outdoors and indoors. You may be surprised by how many potential enrichment materials are already around you.

• Natural materials: Stumps, branches, brush, and rocks from around the property can provide opportunities for exploring, climbing, scratching, rubbing, and investigating. You can also ask community members if they have appropriate natural materials available.
• Plants and forage: Unsprayed, non-toxic, native plants from areas free from biohazards can provide opportunities for browsing and exploration. In my region, I can walk outside and find dandelions, clover, sorrel, garlic mustard, plantain, chickweed, bittercress, shepherd’s purse, and violets, to name a few. Never provide a plant as food unless you are 100% sure of its identity and safety. Never feed grass clippings from mowing. A handful of freshly cut grass may be fine for some residents, but grass quickly begins to ferment after being cut and can cause severe colic, bloat, and cropA crop is a pouched enlargement of the esophagus of many birds that serves as a receptacle for food and for its preliminary maceration. impactions, all of which are serious health issues.
• Natural scents: Small amounts of slightly soiled bedding or soil carrying the scent of other residents can provide an interesting sensory experience. However, be sure to follow appropriate biosecurity measures.
• Recyclables: Plastic beverage jugs and bottles, cardboard boxes, paper bags, plastic vitamin containers, and empty tissue boxes can be repurposed for foraging opportunities, exploratory “houses” for small residents, rolling treat dispensers, and more. Always consider the individual resident, supervise new enrichment when appropriate, and remove anything that becomes damaged or unsafe.
• Look in the cupboards: Do you have fruit or herbal teas, such as peppermint or ginger? These can make simple enrichment drinking opportunities for some residents. Old spices such as cinnamon, rosemary, or sage may also provide inexpensive sensory enrichment. Always check that an ingredient is safe for the species and individual before offering it. 
• Cooking utensils: Do you have any stainless steel, aluminium, or ceramic muffin tins? You can put treats in a muffin tin and place ball pit balls on top of each section for residents to figure out how to move to get to their treats. Be sure the size is appropriate for the species and they aren’t in danger of choking on any inedible parts of the enrichment. How about nontreated large wooden cooking spoons or spatulas with holes or lines? These can be hung and treats can be strung from them.  
• Buckets and lids: Extra buckets or bucket lids can become rolling or hanging treat dispensers
• Old Tires: Tires have a lot of potential for enrichment activities. However, you must inspect them for wires or other sharp bits that may be protruding and they need a proper scrub with dish soap to remove any grease or oils. Be sure to drill holes in the side facing the ground so they don’t collect water that can be used as a breeding ground for mosquitos. A tire partially buried in a vertical position can become a sturdy foundation for goats to jump on and off of.

Volunteers and Supporters

Your existing supporters can be a great resource for enrichment items! Not only can they provide items to be used as enrichment but they can also offer fresh ideas and assemble or build enrichment items. Instead of simply asking for general donations, consider giving supporters specific enrichment goals they can help you accomplish. This can save you time vetoing items that may not be appropriate for residents and help you have a focused goal. 

• Create an enrichment wish list: Ask for specific items that you already have a plan for. Create a wishlist with enrichment items you know how you will use and share it with your supporters. You can ask for specific items through your social media channels; “We are looking for two sturdy basketballs for our pig residents” or “We need a cordless drill and drill bits to build a new forage box.” 
• Ask supporters to look around their homes: People may have perfectly useful items sitting unused in their garages, basements, or sheds. That old basketball, kids pool, old baby toys, a windchime, a wiffle ball, mirror, or even a set of tools collecting dust could become part of an enrichment project.
• Host a community enrichment drive: Invite supporters to collect specific materials needed for upcoming enrichment projects. Consider creating a themed drive for a particular species, season, or enrichment goal.
• Host a community garden day: Invite supporters to bring resident-appropriate seeds and plants and help prepare a garden or growing area. You can temporarily block residents from accessing the area while plants become established, then give residents access later in the season to browse, forage, explore, and investigate. This also provides you with an opportunity for an event where you can invite the supporters and the larger community back when you give the residents access.
  • Think beyond traditional gardens: Garden-based enrichment doesn’t have to mean creating a large permanent garden. Plants can be incorporated into appropriate living areas or grown in containers that can later be made available to residents.
  • Don’t forget the tools: Many people have garden tools they would be happy to lend out or donate.
  • Be specific: Be sure to specify what plants and seeds are appropriate for residents, including that they be free from pesticides.
• Invite supporters to help build: If you have an enrichment project planned but lack the time or tools to make it happen, invite supporters to help construct it. Having a specific project and materials list makes it much easier for people to participate.
• Look for free materials: Check Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor, Buy Nothing groups, Craigslist, and other local community sharing groups for people giving away materials that could be safely repurposed for enrichment. Even better, have a volunteer do this!

The Broader Community

You don’t have to limit your search for enrichment resources to people who already support your sanctuary. Local businesses, schools, community organizations, and neighborhood groups may be excited to contribute when given a concrete way to help.

• Ask local hardware stores for materials: Hardware stores may be willing to donate or discount supplies such as screws, drill bits, zip ties, nuts and bolts, duct tape, broom heads, and other materials that can be used to build enrichment items.
• Connect with community groups: Scouts, school classes, service-learning programs, and other community organizations may be interested in designing or building enrichment items for sanctuary residents. You can provide the project parameters, safety requirements, and materials while allowing the group to contribute their creativity.
• Explore student opportunities: High school and college students may be looking for volunteer opportunities, service-learning projects, internships, or projects that can count toward course credit.
• Invite businesses and work teams: Local businesses may be interested in organizing a volunteer day where employees work together to prepare enrichment materials or build projects for sanctuary residents.
• Ask grocery stores and produce businesses: Local grocery stores, produce markets, and fruit bouquet businesses may have surplus produce that could be appropriate for enrichment. Be sure to establish clear guidelines about what can be accepted and how donations will be handled. Don’t forget pumpkin patches and orchards!
• Create an enrichment challenge: Invite local schools, youth groups, or college students to design and build an enrichment item for sanctuary residents. You could turn this into a friendly competition, with participants creating different enrichment items for a particular species or enrichment goal. This can engage the community, create opportunities for education, increase visibility for the sanctuary, and potentially result in multiple new enrichment items for residents.
• Give people a specific problem to solve: Rather than asking the community to “make enrichment,” consider giving them a challenge such as, “Can you design a forage puzzle for a llama that encourages investigation and manipulation?” 

We hope this list has you excited to build your enrichment inventory. Do you have any fun inexpensive ways you provide enrichment to residents? We would love to hear what has worked well for your residents and share it with the sanctuary community.