How to Draw an Elephant (Easy Step-by-Step for Kids)

To draw an elephant, start with a round head. Add a curly trunk with wrinkle lines, then two big ears and two eyes. Finish with a round body, thick legs with toenails and a thin tail.

Finished cartoon elephant, gray with pink inner ears, pink cheeks, a curly trunk and a dark gray tail tuft
The finished elephant
Steps
6 easy steps
You need
  • Pencil
  • Eraser
  • Black marker
  • Gray, dark gray and pink crayons

Updated

Teaching this to a class?

Show one step at a time on the board and wait for the class before the next. The directed drawing for kids page explains how to run it.

How to draw an elephant step by step

  1. A round circle for the elephant's head

    Step 1 of 6: Draw a round circle for the head.

  2. A trunk coming down from the bottom of the head, curling at the tip, with three wrinkle lines

    Step 2 of 6: Add a trunk coming down from the head, curling at the tip, with three wrinkle lines.

  3. Two big rounded ears tucked behind the sides of the head, each with a curved inner line, and two dot eyes with shine

    Step 3 of 6: Draw two big ears behind the sides of the head, each with a curved line inside, and two dot eyes.

  4. A big round body behind the head and the right ear

    Step 4 of 6: Add a big round body behind the head.

  5. Three short thick legs with two toenails each, the left side of the body, and a thin tail with a tuft on the right

    Step 5 of 6: Draw three thick legs with two toenails each and a thin tail with a tuft. Erase the old body bottom.

  6. The elephant colored gray with pink inner ears, pink cheeks and a dark gray tail tuft

    Step 6 of 6: Color the elephant gray, the inner ears pink and the tail tuft dark gray. Add pink cheeks.

Tips for little artists

  • Tip: Press lightly with the pencil first. Trace the lines you like with the marker, then erase the rest.

  • Tip: Make the ears bigger than you think. Big ears make it look like an elephant.

  • Tip: Draw the legs straight down like thick posts. That makes the elephant look strong.

Make it yours

  • Baby elephant

    Make the head bigger and the body smaller, and give it a small bow on the tail.

  • Elephant with water

    Point the trunk up and draw drops of water spraying out of the tip.

  • Circus elephant

    Add a small hat on the head and a round ball under one front foot.

Common mistakes and easy fixes

  • The trunk is too short

    Let the trunk hang down below the head, then curl the tip up at the end.

  • The ears cover the eyes

    Draw the ears on the outside edges of the head, and put the eyes in the middle.

  • The legs are too thin

    Make each leg wider than the trunk, with two round toenails at the bottom.

Fun facts about the elephant

  • An elephant's trunk is its nose and upper lip joined together. It has no bones. (Source: Smithsonian's National Zoo)

  • Elephants' large ears help them cool down. When an elephant flaps its ears on hot days, the blood in them cools. (Source: Smithsonian's National Zoo)

  • Elephants actually walk on their toes. A thick pad on the bottom of each foot cushions each step. (Source: Smithsonian's National Zoo)

Questions grown-ups ask

How to make a simple elephant?

Draw a round head and a curly trunk. Add two big ears, a round body, thick legs and a tail. The 6 steps above follow that order.

How to draw an elephant for kids?

Use circles: one for the head, two big rounded shapes for the ears and one for the body. Add a curly trunk and thick legs.

How to draw an elephant step by step?

Start with the head, then the trunk, the ears and eyes, the body, and the legs and tail. Color it gray last.

If the ears came out different sizes, that's fine. Your elephant is just listening closely. More easy drawings for kids are on the home page.

Step 1 of 6

A round circle for the elephant's head
Draw a round circle for the head.