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Children's Elephant Activities

Elephants are often included in zoo, jungle and safari themes, and can be used to emphasize the letter "Ee" and its sound in preschool and kindergarten classrooms. Elephants also appear frequently in children's books and movies. Encourage children's interest in these gigantic mammals with games, crafts and activities about elephants.

Feed the Elephant
- "Feed the Elephant" by tossing shelled peanuts into the elephant's mouth.
  
  Make and play an elephant feeding game adapted from ChildFun.com. Cut out an elephant head from gray construction paper. Cut a large circle out of the head piece to make an open mouth. Glue the elephant head to a paper bag. Carefully cut the mouth section out of the paper bag. Add a trunk just above the mouth by curling a long, narrow strip of gray paper around a pencil and gluing it to the bag. Play the game by tossing shelled peanuts through the elephant's mouth.
Elephant Craft
- Create a simple elephant craft as directed by Busy Bee Kids Crafts.com. Paint a paper plate gray and let it dry. Cut out two ear shapes from gray construction paper. Glue or tape the ears to each side of the plate, near the top. Cut a long, narrow strip of gray construction paper and accordion-fold it to make a trunk. Glue or tape the trunk to the middle of the plate. Add wiggly eyes (available at craft stores) and draw on a mouth.
Trunk Tag
- Players must run away from the elephants in trunk tag.
  
  The website Youth Group Games suggests playing a game of elephant-themed tag. Choose three people to be "elephants". Elephants must use their arms to form a trunk and use it to tag other players. Tagged players join the elephant herd and must attempt to tag the remaining players by using their "trunks". A variation of this game involves players lining up on one end of the playing field. When an elephant yells, "Stampede!" players race across the field to a safe area. As in the original version, any tagged player becomes an elephant.
Tug of War
- Children pull on both sides of a rope to play tug of war.
  
  Play a traditional game of tug of war by dividing children into equal teams. Tell them they will be elephants linked end to end by the rope (similar to the way that a family of elephants will link their trunks and tails together). Mark a line in the middle of the playing field using tape, paint or plastic cones. Tie a rag around the middle of a rope. Lay the rope across the field, lining up the middle of the rope with the marked line. Children arrange themselves so that each player holds part of the rope, with one team on each end of the rope. On a given signal, players attempt to pull the middle of the rope across the marked line.

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