August 12th each year is World Elephant Day.
Eight Ideas for World Elephant Day
- Watch baby elephants being fed.
Live footage will be beamed across the world from the Elephant Orphanage Project in Zambia by IFAW and partners Game Rangers International.
Click the link to watch or set a reminder.
2. Take part in online activities
Activities including colouring contests, crafts and quizzes are being organised by MEME (Management and Ecology of Malaysian Elephants).
3. Learn about elephants
Research on https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
There’s slideshows and information on Asian and African elephants in child-friendly formats.
4. Celebrate with Elmer
Download the free Elmer activity pack. It was produced for Elmer Day (May 23rd), but if you missed it, World Elephant Day is the perfect time to use it! There’s colouring, collage, model making, puzzles, games and more.
Children could use the templates to make their own Elmer or create their own pattern as in the story when the elephants decorated themselves for a parade.
Collage using squares is great for younger children and patchwork works well for collaborative work. I once created a large wall hanging by sewing together patches knitted by my Year 6 students.
For more ideas on Elmer, elephants and patterns check out the Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/teacherstellingtales/patterns/elmer-elephant-parade/
This will be updated so remember to follow.
5. Make an elephant mask
Here’s a lovely template.
6. Learn about Mosha
The first elephant to receive a prosthetic foot after being injured by a landmine at just 7 months old. Mosha inspired Elephant Parade, a fantastic project to raise funds for Friends of the Asian Elephant.
Artists from around the world create beautiful designs for elephant statues that are displayed in cities and auctioned to raise funds to help elephants. Smaller replicas are produced for sale. I was so moved when parents of a class I once taught bought me one as a thank you gift at the end of the year.
What a beautiful gift!
7. Design an elephant for a parade.
You can submit your sketches using a form here.
You can also take part in the Artbox Contest by decorating an elephant model, your design could end up on a full sized elephant in an exhibition!
8. Support Elephant Conservation
Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand was the first ‘Hand Off’ project in Asia, providing a sanctuary and retirement home to elephants that have been abused and injured through logging, circus and tourist camps. As the coronavirus pandemic has affected tourism they have taken on elephants from other places where the owners are no longer able to afford to keep them. I visited there last December when I took these photos. I recommend checking out their website and following on social media, they regularly post videos great for sharing with children.
How about celebrating World Elephant Day by making a donation or sponsoring an elephant?
elephant pair elephant portrait