Okay, let’s be honest. You’re searching for elephant crafts for preschool because you need something that’s actually doable. Not a Pinterest fail that requires a PhD in glitter-glue application. You want simple, engaging activities that little hands can manage and little hearts will adore. Well, you’ve just trumpeted your way to the right place. I’ve rounded up 17 fantastic elephant crafts that focus on fun, fine motor skills, and that magical preschooler sense of accomplishment. Let’s get those creative trunks swinging!
1. The Classic Paper Plate Elephant
We’re starting with a total superstar. This craft is a staple for a reason: it uses supplies you definitely already have. Grab a paper plate, some gray paint (or mix black and white!), and construction paper.
Let the kids go to town painting the plate. While it dries, help them cut out big elephant ears, a trunk, and a tail from the gray paper. Glue it all together, add a googly eye, and boom—you have a happy, floppy-eared friend. It’s the perfect first elephant craft for preschool circles.
2. Toilet Paper Roll Trumpeter
Never underestimate the power of an empty toilet paper roll. It’s basically a craft supply goldmine. For this one, cover the roll in gray paper or paint. Cut out ear shapes and glue them on.
The real fun? The trunk! Take a strip of gray paper, show the kids how to accordion-fold it (great for those fine motor skills!), and attach it so it dangles down. Suddenly, that recycled roll has serious character.
3. Sponge-Painted Elephant
This one is all about the process, not a perfect product. Cut a simple elephant shape out of sturdy paper or cardstock. Now, give the kids sponges cut into small pieces and a plate of gray paint.
Watching them dab and stamp the paint onto the elephant shape is so satisfying. The textured finish they create looks just like wrinkly elephant skin. It’s sensory and artistic—a total win.
4. “E is for Elephant” Craft
Kill two birds with one stone by combining letter learning with creativity. Draw or print a large, block letter ‘E’ on a piece of paper. Talk about how “elephant” starts with ‘E’.
Then, transform that ‘E’! The top line becomes the head, the middle line becomes the trunk, and you add ears and legs. They can color, collage, or paint it. It’s a brilliant way to make alphabet lessons memorable.
5. Elephant Headband Parade
Crafts you can wear are always a hit. Measure a strip of construction paper to fit around a child’s head and staple it. Now, help them cut out two massive elephant ears and a long trunk from gray paper.
Attach them to the front of the headband. Once everyone has made one, you have an instant elephant parade. Cue the marching music! This activity fuels imaginative play for hours.
6. Coffee Filter Watercolor Elephant
This craft has a magical, “how did we do that?!” factor. Flatten out a white coffee filter and let the kids use watercolor paints or even washable markers to color it all over. Then, using a dropper or brush, add a few drops of water and watch the colors blend beautifully.
Once dry, fold and shape it into an elephant body, adding cardstock ears and legs. The result is a stunning, tie-dye effect elephant.
7. Egg Carton Elephant Herd
Time to raid the recycling bin again! Cut an egg carton so you have a section of two cups (this is the body). Turn it upside down. The bumps become the perfect shape for an elephant’s back and head.
Paint it gray, add pipe cleaner legs and tail, paper ears, and a drawn-on face. Making a whole herd is easy and teaches kids about reusing materials. How cool is that?
8. Thumbprint Elephant Family
Minimal mess, maximum cuteness. Set out a washable gray ink pad or some gray paint on a plate. Have the kids press their thumbs down to make the body of the elephant.
Once the thumbprint dries, they use a marker to add details: a trunk coming off the front, little ears, legs, and a tail. They can make a whole family—big thumb for mama, tiny pinky for baby. It’s personal and adorable.
9. Movable Clothespin Elephant
Kids love things that move. Cut an elephant shape from cardstock, but don’t add legs. Instead, color and attach four clothespins to the bottom as legs.
Not only does this make the elephant stand up, but the clothespins provide a fantastic fine motor workout as they open and close them to attach. You can even clip them onto the edge of a box or cup for a 3D scene.
10. Crumpled Tissue Paper Elephant
This craft is wonderfully tactile. Tear or cut gray tissue paper into small squares. Draw a simple elephant outline on a piece of paper.
Then, show the kids how to crumple each square into a little ball, dip the bottom in glue, and stick it inside the outline. Filling the entire elephant with these crumpled balls creates amazing texture and keeps little fingers busy and focused.
11. Elephant Puppet on a Stick
Puppets equal instant storytelling. Help the kids cut out an elephant face from a paper plate or cardstock. Let them decorate it with markers, yarn for hair, and big ears.
Then, tape a craft stick or a wooden spoon to the back. Now they have an elephant character to use in their own plays. What stories will their elephant tell? The possibilities are endless.
12. Shape Elephant Collage
Let’s sneak in some math! Pre-cut a bunch of gray shapes: ovals, circles, rectangles, and triangles. Give each child a piece of paper and some glue.
Challenge them to build an elephant using just those shapes. A big oval for the body, a circle for the head, rectangles for legs, and triangles for ears. It’s a fantastic, hands-on way to explore geometry and spatial reasoning.
13. Pasta-Bowl Elephant Mask
This one requires a bit of prep but the payoff is huge. Take a large, paper pasta bowl (the kind from the grocery store) and cut out eye holes. This bowl becomes the perfect, domed elephant head.
Let the kids paint it gray and attach huge paper ears to the sides. Add a curled paper trunk below the eyes. Attach a string or stick, and they have an amazing, 3D mask for dramatic play.
14. Bubble Wrap Printed Elephant
Bubble wrap isn’t just for popping—it’s a secret texturing tool! Cut a piece of bubble wrap and wrap it around a small rolling pin or bottle. Let the kids roll it in gray paint and then onto a pre-cut elephant shape.
The pattern it leaves behind is a dead ringer for elephant skin. It’s a printmaking lesson that’s incredibly fun and satisfying. Pop, pop, paint!
15. “Elmer the Elephant” Patchwork Craft
Inspired by the beloved book character, this craft celebrates color and individuality. Draw a simple elephant outline on white paper. Provide squares of brightly colored tissue paper or small pieces of patterned scrapbook paper.
The kids glue the colorful squares inside the elephant to create their own unique, patchwork Elmer. It’s a beautiful tie-in to lessons about being yourself.
16. Rocking Paper Elephant
An elephant that actually moves? Yes, please! Start by cutting an elephant shape from sturdy paper, but make sure the bottom is a wide, smooth curve (like a rocking chair base).
Let the kids decorate their elephant on both sides. When you set it down on a flat surface and give it a gentle tap, it will rock back and forth. Simple engineering that feels like magic.
17. Footprint Elephant Keepsake
Save this sentimental favorite for a special occasion. Paint the bottom of a child’s foot with gray washable paint and have them press it firmly onto paper, toes pointing down.
When dry, the heel becomes the elephant’s head. Add an ear, an eye, a trunk coming from the toes, and legs. You’ve just created the most adorable keepsake that parents will treasure forever. Trust me, this one’s a tear-jerker in the best way.
And there you have it—17 trunk-loads of creative fun. The best part about these elephant crafts for preschool? They’re not about perfection. They’re about the joy of making, the pride in their work, and the stories they invent along the way. Whether you choose the messy sponge paint or the clever egg carton version, you’re giving those little learners a chance to explore, create, and maybe make a few happy messes. So, which elephant craft will you try first? Your preschool herd is waiting to get creative! 🐘