Dumbo: Educational Activities and Games for 2 to 5 Year Olds

Let's face it, kids love movies, but it's been proven that they should watch no more than 2 hours of TV a day. So why not combine their love of a movie and activities that will help them learn and grow? Following are suggestions for the movie Dumbo released in 1941. These activities would also work well for preschool classes and party games for this age group.

Watch the movie

Let your kids watch the show while you prepare the activities for the rest of the day or attend to other responsibilities.

Rhyme Activity

Teach your child this rhyme.

One Elephant

One elephant went out to play

On a spider's web one day.

He had such enormous fun,

He asked for another elephant to come.

Two elephants...etc up to five.

Read a Book

There are a lot of incredible books available to go along with the movie Dumbo. Pick one you think your child would enjoy and involve them while you are reading. Ask them questions about the pictures and story. Following are a few suggestions of books to read.

• "Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!" by Patricia Thomas and Wallace Tripp
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• But No Elephants (Once Upon a Time) by Jerry Smath
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• The Ant and the Elephant by Bill Peet
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• The Story of Babar (Babar Books (Random House)) by Jean De Brunhoff

Snack Time

Purchase the Peanut Butter peanut shaped cookies, sliced almonds, vanilla frosting, string licorice and chocolate chips. Show your child how to make the cookies look like an elephant by putting two almonds in between the two cookies, one on each side for the ears. Then frost the top and add string licorice as the trunk, and chocolate chips for eyes.

Take a Trip

If there is a circus in town take the chance to take your child. It is an experience they are not likely to ever forget. If there is not a circus in town take a trip to a local zoo and see the elephants there.

Elephant Craft

You will need a paper plate, stapler, three toilet paper tubes, and gray construction paper. Help your child cover the toilet paper tubes in gray paper then cut two of the tubes in half. Staple the four shorter tubes onto the paper plate so that they look like legs. Staple the long tube to the front for the trunk. Cover the paper plate in gray paper. Cut two ear shapes out of the gray paper, cut two slits in the paper plate just behind the front two legs. Insert the ears in these slits. Let your child use markers or crayons to put a face on their elephant.