Community Voices for Health

By: Martianne Stanger

Mark your calendars. September 22 brings a little-known observance in honor of some humungous animals – elephants – a day which can lead to big-time fun and learning.

For several years now, our family has enjoyed Elephant Appreciation Day at Buttonwood Park Zoo, where we visit the elephants, Emily and Ruth, do elephant-inspired crafts, check out elephant artifacts (like tusks, teeth and – yes – even dung), help make elephant enrichment (a snack for the elephants) and play a life-size board game about elephants.

The day is always a big hit with our kids.

The days leading up to and following Elephant Appreciation Day bring big-time fun in our home, too.

Our children enjoy playing with theAct Like an Elephant Action Cards I made them (which are described and offered as a free printable here).

The kids also enjoy Montessori-inspired learning activities and games, elephant-themed read alouds and elephant-inspired imaginary play (as described here.)

And, of course, we search out interesting elephant videos on youtube, which will be easy this year, since I just discovered the Elephant Appreciation Facebook page, which is replete with links to tube videos, ideas for elephant-inspired crafts and snacks and more.

Will you be joining in Elephant Appreciation Day fun? Hope so! Perhaps we’ll see you at Buttonwood.

What are your favorite elephant-themed activities or games? I’d love to hear about them in a comment!