What Is an Elephant?
An elephant is a mammal. It breathes air and has a little hair on its body.
Elephants eat plants. They like grass, leaves, bark and fruit.
Elephant
An elephant is a very big animal. It has a long trunk, large ears and four strong legs. Elephants live in Africa and Asia.
Fun Facts About Elephants
- A baby elephant is called a calf.
- An elephant has a long trunk.
- Elephants are the biggest animals that live on land.
- Elephants make trumpet and rumbling sounds.
Easy learning for little ones
Talk and Move
Try one short prompt at a time. Children can point, speak or copy the movement.
- 1
Point to the elephant's trunk.
- 2
Say “elephant” and lift one arm like a trunk.
- 3
Take three slow, heavy elephant steps.
Home, Food and Movement
- Home: grasslands and forests
- Food: grass, leaves, bark and fruit
- Movement: walks and swims
- Sound: trumpets and rumbles
Easy Practice Sentences
Easy: I see an elephant.
Medium: The elephant has a long trunk.
Challenge: The elephant uses its trunk to pick up grass.
Say each sentence aloud and point to the picture.
Activity Idea
Draw a happy elephant home.
- Draw some grass, a tree and water.
- Draw an elephant with a long trunk.
- Add two big ears and four strong legs.
- Tell a grown-up what your elephant needs.
This activity helps children draw, speak and learn about an elephant's home.
Elephant Body Parts
- Trunk: helps the elephant smell, drink and pick up food
- Ears: help it hear and stay cool
- Feet: help it walk on the ground
- Tail: helps brush away flies
- Skin: is thick and wrinkly
Look and Think
- Can you point to the elephant's trunk?
- How many ears can you see?
- Can you find its four legs?
- What colour is the elephant?
Learning Safely About Elephants
- Elephants are wild animals. Never go near one.
- Never touch or feed an elephant.
- Stay with a grown-up at the zoo.
- Always stay behind the safety fence.
Compare and Think
- Elephant and rhino: both are big, but only an elephant has a trunk.
- Elephant and giraffe: both eat plants. A giraffe has a long neck.
- Elephant and lion: an elephant eats plants. A lion eats meat.
Life in an Elephant Herd
A family group of elephants is called a herd. A herd can have grown-up elephants and calves.
Elephants walk, eat and rest together. They use sounds and gentle touches to share messages.
Why Elephants Need Protection
Elephants need safe places to live. They also need plants and clean water.
People can protect the land where elephants live.
Elephant Words to Learn
- Calf: a young elephant
- Herd: a group of elephants
- Trunk: an elephant's long nose
- Tusk: a long, hard tooth
- Herbivore: an animal that eats plants
- Habitat: an animal's home
Check understanding
Quick Questions
Say each answer aloud. Then check it with a grown-up.
Q1
What is a baby elephant called?
Answer
A baby elephant is called a calf.
Q2
What does an elephant eat?
Answer
An elephant eats plants.
Q3
What can an elephant do with its trunk?
Answer
It can smell, drink and pick up food.
Q4
What is a group of elephants called?
Answer
A group of elephants is called a herd.