Elephant Went Out To Play

One Elephant Went Out to Play is a great song for children, and can be sung by adults and children together. It can also be used as a party game or in the classroom.

The tune's exact origin is unclear, but it was played as a theme song for The Elephant Show, or Sharon, Lois Bram's Elephant Show, which it was called after the first season. This children's show aired from 1984 through 1999 in Canada.

One Elephant Went Out to Play is just a fun song to sing in general. But, at a party or in a classroom it turns into a game. Children can sit in a circle, and the lead elephant can then beckon the second elephant to come by tapping him or her on the shoulder, and so forth. While walking around the circle, children can be encouraged to walk like an elephant and use their arms to mimic the long trunk. Or, as an alternative to the circle, children can hide and the growing number of elephants can seek out the next one to join the herd.

You can alternate the lyrics with other rhyme, such as, "one elephant who was grey, went out to play one day. " Making up your own lyrics to One Elephant Went Out to Play, can be a lot of fun for children and their parents. And, they don't have to make much sense, after all, how many elephants can play on a spider's web anyway?