To help keep you inspired and engaged during these challenging times, our Living Well Centre team is bringing you themed activities and resources every fortnight.
The theme for the first fortnight is elephants – inspired by our 2021 art trail Worcester’s Big Parade!
Don’t forget to let us know how you get on exploring these activities, and send any pictures of your work to Alison Mesley, Art Therapist, if you’d like us to share them on our website.
Milk bottle elephants
See our elephants made from old milk bottles, scrap paper, glue and glitter, pictured here on the right!
To make your own, follow these simple instructions:
Memory jars
We are told that elephants never forget.
Perhaps you would like to decorate a jar, and each day write something to be thankful for on a piece of paper and pop it in.
They’re lovely to look back on, in days to come.
Origami elephant
Have a go at making your own origami elephant, by following this simple tutorial on YouTube.
Colour in an elephant
Why not download a colouring in template, and have a go at designing your own elephant? Send us your creations – we’d love to see them!
Taking a line for a walk
Grab a pen and paper and ‘take a line for a walk’ to draw an elephant, while listening to ‘Baby Elephant Walk’ by Henri Mancini on YouTube.
You don’t need expert drawing skills, just have a go and see what you create! You could draw a pencil sketch first, then colour over with pen to fill in patterns.
Tai Chi
Enjoy your own adapted tai chi session with our videos featuring hospice physiotherapist Gill Jubb.
While these t’ai chi sessions aren’t elephant-themed, they are a great way to take some gentle exercise from the comfort of your own home.
Do you know how many teeth an elephant has, or how many hours a day the animals spend eating? Test your knowledge with our elephant quiz!
What happens if you cross an elephant with a kangaroo? Check out our elephant jokes to find out!
Take a look at our list of books and films which have an elephant theme. Have you read, or seen, any of the titles on our list?
Can you make an elephant from household items? We would love to see hove inventive you are, so send in your pictures to Alison Mesley, Art Therapist.
Please let us know if you’re happy for us to include your pictures on our online gallery, which can be viewed at the end of this page. Take a look at some of our examples here.
Elephants like to eat buns. Here are some hot cross buns made by one of the team. Could you make buns or bread shaped like an elephant?
We all know that elephants are playful and that they like to play football. Why not try this game yourself?
Scrunch a piece of paper up in to a ball, and with straws blow the ball to each other. You could do this across a tray or table but why not try to make a football pitch up and have a proper football game and see who gets the most goals?
Are there any similarities between chaplaincy and elephants? Read a letter from our Chaplaincy Team.
Check out our elephant-themed creations, and share yours with us too! Just email your pictures to Alison Mesley, Art Therapist, and let us know if you’d like us to include them in our online gallery.
You can watch some of the beautiful animals at Edinburgh Zoo live, including penguins, koala bears, pandas and tigers. Just visit: www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/webcams/panda-cam/
Read about the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, and view some incredible artwork, by visiting davidshepherd.org
