Who loves elephants? We do! Their big, floppy ears, giant trunks, and adorable features make them a favorite animal of kids everywhere.
If you’re planning a trip to the zoo or just have a child who’s obsessed with these gentle giants, you’re going to love this list of easy elephant crafts for kids.
You’ll find lots of options, such as paper plate crafts, puppets, and elephants made using simple shapes like circles or hearts.
You’ll also find several options with printable templates, so they’re wonderful for crafting in the classroom or with a group of kids. For more options, please check out our best animal crafts for kids.
This is a fun activity for Read Across America week, or anytime you'd like to make a totally adorable elephant craft. Have your kiddo use their paper bag elephant puppet to act out scenes from the beloved Dr Seuss classic Horton Hears a Who!
This craft is also a fun way to encourage your children's creativity and imagination while promoting a love for reading. Our step-by-step instructions and free craft template make this craft easy peasy!
This simple elephant paper craft is big, fun, and easy to make! Make it for any zoo animals unit lesson plans or anytime you feel like it!
Kids can stick a popsicle stick to the back of their paper elephants and use them as puppets. Or, they can hang them on the wall for a cute decoration! Whatever they decide to do with them, our free printable template makes this craft a breeze for kids of all ages.
This coffee filter elephant is a terrific elephant craft for toddlers and preschoolers. Using just coffee filters, construction paper, and crayons, this cute elephant craft can be assembled in 15 minutes or less.
Your child may need help drawing the elephant's trunk and face. Alternatively, you can use googly eyes in place of the drawn eyes. If your kids are old enough, you can let them do as much or as little coloring and cutting as they can handle. This activity is perfect for developing fine motor skills!
Do your kids adore the Elephant and Piggie books? If so, these Gerald and Piggie headbands are going to go over BIG TIME!
Use them for a last-minute costume idea or just for pretend play. Kids will need help assembling the headpieces, but even young children can still do the painting and some of the cutting.
Step into the wild with this adorable elephant name craft that's perfect for little hands! This activity is not just a blast to put together, but it also offers a playful way for kids to recognize and spell their names.
Rocking paper plate animals combine the fun of a craft with an inexpensive toy! The next time your elephant fanatic wants to play, try this activity.
The elephants can be decorated as elaborately or as simply as you'd like. If you or your child aren't into drawing the designs, use stickers or washi tape to make it look more decorative.
These balancing elephant puppets are too cute. They go along with the counting song Elephants Bouncing, and if you're not familiar with it, the post includes a helpful video.
Use these puppets to sing along or as a STEM activity focused on balancing.
Elmer the Elephant is a cute story, and this suncatcher craft goes right along with it. Pair both together for a fun, crafty morning, and then enjoy the story with your little one in the afternoon. It's the perfect way to get kids excited about different children's books and craft time!
What a fun craft to do in preparation for a zoo visit. The elephant is made using squares, rectangles, circles, etc., and then yarn is placed in front to represent the bars of a zoo. Add in some fun facts about elephants and zoos for a complete educational experience!
You can't get much sweeter than an elephant whose ears are made of hearts. These puppets are the perfect craft to make for Valentine's Day or any day you want to spread some love. Use different colored card stock and let your child's creativity run wild!
Here's another cute elephant puppet idea that's super easy for kids of all ages. All you need is construction paper, scissors, glue, and the template, and the kids will be playing with their puppets in no time.
Recycle a K-cup to make an adorable little elephant with the kids!
Not only are they fun to play with, but these tiny K-cup figures make cute decorations for the shelves in your child's room. There's no end to the fun ideas you can have with some recycled materials and a little imagination!
These adorable paper bookmarks peek over the pages as you read!
They're super easy for most ages, thanks to the printable template. This cool elephant craft would make an excellent classroom or library activity.
We hope you're saving your toilet paper rolls for fun crafts like this elephant! Kids can practice their scissor skills to shape the elephant's ears, trunk, etc.
And this craft is super low-prep. If you have paint, glue, googly eyes, and toilet rolls, you have everything you need.
This craft is a simple way to turn an ordinary cereal box into an awesome elephant (with a bit of cutting, painting, and decorating!)
Elephant crafts for preschoolers that use recycled materials are the best kind—no need to head to the craft store!
E is for elephant! This is the perfect elephant craft for toddlers and preschoolers learning the alphabet. They'll learn all about the letter E and how it sounds while creating this adorable elephant using simple materials like construction paper, black marker, scissors, and glue.
Mark your pages with a cute elephant corner bookmark when you make this simple paper elephant craft!
The tutorial also includes instructions for making other amazing animals, such as a giraffe, zebra, lion, and hippopotamus.
A mini cupcake liner, a regular cupcake liner, and a little creativity are all you need to make a really cool elephant.
This craft is made with simple shapes and is a great way to introduce preschoolers to the world's largest land animal!
It only takes a couple of cuts out of a paper plate to create an elephant head! Who knew? We love the textured look of the paint on this paper plate elephant kids craft. Have your kiddo use the elephant cutouts to make their very own elephant family!
Here's another Elephant and Piggie craft and activity that will keep your kids engaged and playing for hours.
This is best done with a small group of kids (or siblings), but parents can join in for the sharing, too.
Which of these fun elephant crafts is your favorite?
More Fun Craft Ideas
- Zoo Animal Crafts
- 43 Fun Animal Paper Plate Crafts For Kids
- Zoo Animal Worksheets For Preschool
More Zoo Animal Ideas For Kids
Sam is the crafter and founder of Simple Everyday Mom. She has been featured in Oprah Mag, Good Housekeeping, The Spruce Crafts, Country Living, The Bump and more. Read more.