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21 Goat Toy and Playground Ideas to DIY, Upcycle, and Buy

Written by:Elle Meager

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Goats are naturally playful and need fun and exercise. Enter goat toys! Whether you buy, build, or repurpose them, your goats will love the activity and it’s great for their health too.

Here are 21 ideas for goat toys to get you started. You can buy things like mini-tramps or balls, or DIY toys like tire swings, playgrounds, and pallet structures.

Let’s dive in and find some fantastic toys and playgrounds to keep your goats happy and active!

1. Mini Tramps

Mini-tramps are fun for both you and the goats. Think of this as a bonding exercise you can share together. Goats love mini-tramps, because they are bouncy and just plain fun. You can love them, too, because they are an excellent way to exercise. 

2. Logs

You can build a whole goat playground out of logs! Buy them from a mill or harvest them from your own property. This could be a good way to put your logs to work while they’re drying out, too.

3. Have a Ball

Have a ball. An exercise ball will serve double-duty. For humans, they were originally used by the Swiss for better back posture education and rehabilitation. They are an excellent stretch for your lower back and you can use them for working on your core. For a goat, watch them roll, chase, bounce, and generally be wacky. 

4. Strawbales

Using straw bales as goat toys is a brilliant and budget-friendly idea to keep your goats entertained! Straw bales are perfect for climbing, jumping, and even munching on. You can arrange them in stacks or create small obstacles for your goats to navigate.

Straw bales are easy to move and replace when needed, making them a versatile and practical addition to your goat playground.

5. Bob a Lot Treat Toy

As for as goat toys go, it doesn’t get much better for your goats than this one. The more they play, the more they’re rewarded with a yummy treat. You can get these on Amazon.

6. Old Tires

What a great way to “upcycle” and reuse something that might otherwise be headed for a landfill. Check with your local tire shop. They may let you take them for free. Or, check with your recycling depot, where they may have some usable ones for a low fee.

Bury half of the tire in the dirt in your goat area, leaving half exposed for the goats to climb on. Put several together for a tunnel.

7. Barrels

Barrels make fantastic goat toys! They provide endless entertainment for your herd. Goats love to climb, jump, and balance on these sturdy, round objects. Barrels also help improve their agility and coordination while keeping them mentally stimulated. You can find barrels at local farms or repurpose old ones.

8. Cable Spools

Source: Pinterest

A simple cable spool with a plank for the goats to walk up. You can also consider two spools, and using the plank as a bridge for them to cross from one to the other.

9. Pallets as DIY Goat Toys

These are so versatile! This site even has easy, free plans for a pallet goat playhouse. You can find pallets at a variety of places.

Be careful your free pallets do not contain methyl bromide, a pesticide. Here is how to tell if they are safe. Also, look for nails or wires that are loose, for safety. Just look at those sweet goats in the video above, enjoying their platform. Pallets make great goat toys.

10. From Kids’ Playground to Goat Playground

Have your kids outgrown their play equipment? Don’t discard it, re-purpose it into goat toys and goat playgrounds. Doesn’t everyone love a slide?

11. Brushes and Brooms

Goats love being brushed! To save you the trouble, nail a brush to a post and watch your goat rub, scratch, and butt it. Old brooms and mops make great goat toys too, they’ll run around with it and go silly.

12. Seesaw

Transforming a cable spool into a seesaw for goats is a fantastic DIY project! It’s simple: place a sturdy board across the spool, securing it well for balance. Goats will have a blast teetering back and forth, honing their agility and coordination. Plus, it’s a great way to repurpose materials you might already have on the farm.

13. Another Goat

Yes, get more than one, and they will be each other’s toy, and companion. Goats are herd animals, and unless you plan on spending hours every day playing, you may wish to get them a friend. 

14. Build a Goat Swing

You can DIY this goat toy or use an old patio swing you already had. Or buy one, of course.

15. Change the Scenery

Moving your goats around is one of the easiest, free goat toys you’ll find. Wouldn’t you be bored if you were stuck in the same place, every day?

Try setting up different pens, or pastures, or even staking them out in a different area of your property. Who doesn’t appreciate a change of scenery?

16. Make a Ladder

Here is a clever goat-owner who put together a fun climbing ladder that is also inexpensive. Maybe you already have all the parts!

17. Tease With DIY Treats

DIY treats as goat toys. Take an old plastic jug, and put some goat treats inside. Poke a few small holes so that they can get at the treats, with a little effort. They love to chase these around.

18. Rocks

How much cheaper can goat toys get? A large rock is a natural toy for goats. On the Big Island of Hawaii, wild goats can be seen climbing lava rocks.  

19. Tire Wall

Got old tires lying around? Turn them into a fun playground for your goats! Stack them up to create a tire wall. Goats love to climb and explore, and a tire wall is perfect for satisfying their curiosity and need for exercise. It’s a simple, cost-effective way to keep your goats entertained and active. Plus, it’s a great way to recycle those old tires!

20. Tractor Tires

Tractor tires make fantastic toys for goats! These durable, large tires can be set up in various ways to create an engaging and fun play area. You can partially bury them for stability and let the goats climb, jump, and balance on them. Adding a log or two into the setup can increase the complexity and fun.

21. Kiddie Pools

What Do Bored Goats Do?

Bored goats will bully each other, or other animals. They’ll chew on posts, try to escape, or attempt unsafe climbing. They will also become more anxious, and therefore less healthy.

If you’re thinking about keeping goats, consider whether you have the space, time, and energy they need to be healthy and productive. Goat herders, any more suggestions for fun?

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Homesteader, Blogger, Farmer, Mom

Elle, the founder and visionary behind Outdoor Happens, is a seasoned horticulturist with over 25 years of hands-on experience. She's not just any gardener; she's a plant whisperer who ran her own nursery specializing in edible plants and fruit trees. With 15 years in permaculture design, she's transformed spaces from local schools to restaurants, promoting sustainable living and healthy eating.

Her work has caught the eye of major media outlets like Bob Vila, NBC News, The Washington Post, and more. She's a proud member of PINA, the Organic Farmer's Association, and the American Horticultural Society. But she doesn't just keep her wisdom stateside; she's a global green thumb, having worked on organic farms from Spain to Australia, revitalizing lands and designing self-sustaining ecosystems.

Whether it's turning a depleted Spanish farm into a permaculture paradise or setting up a biodynamic farm in Holland, Elle's mission is to make the world a greener, more sustainable place. She's a qualified permaculture teacher with diplomas in horticulture and naturopathy, and her passions range from herbalism and fermentation to animal husbandry and beyond. Elle lives the life she preaches, residing on a farm teeming with vegetable gardens, food forests, cows, sheep, horses, and chickens.

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