Sometimes, the most extraordinary learning journeys begin with the simplest of objects. In the case of the Chinchero room (3–5 years) at City of Canterbury Bankstown’s Hurlstone Park Children’s Centre, the adventure began with a soft toy named Ellie Elephant.
Ellie, a comforter for a new child, sparked a series of questions from her peers:
- How big are elephants?
- What do they eat, and how much?
- Where do they live?
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Rather than providing ready-made answers, educators fostered an atmosphere of shared investigation.
As one thing led to another, Ellie became the catalyst for a year-long, multifaceted learning project, ultimately culminating in the colossal engineering feat of building a life-sized elephant sculpture, named Cheeky, out of recycled boxes.
Along the way, with the Baby Elephant Walk song on repeat, the children learnt an extraordinary amount about elephants, engaging in authentic inquiry—researching, measuring, weighing food for scale, drawing, and sculpting. This laid the conceptual and practical groundwork for their ambitious final construction to celebrate World Elephant Day on August 12.
And their dedication didn’t stop there: with the support of families, they also managed to raise raised enough funds to ‘adopt an elephant’ through the International Elephant Project.
Embracing community, sustainability, and empathy
The inquiry started with the children researching the social and ecological realities of elephants—their size, diet and where they lived—quickly moving from fun facts to profound empathy. They explored the complexities of elephant herds, the threat posed by poachers, and the vital role of elephant sanctuaries. The children even set up their own elephant sanctuary, caring for sick elephants and nursing them back to health.
This research and dramatic play became a lesson in social justice and environmental stewardship, and families were invited to join in, creating box elephants at home using sustainable, recycled materials.
Children saw their concepts brought to life in tangible form, reflecting the collaboration, creativity and collective spirit of the local community. These small, shared projects also laid the groundwork for the children’s ambition to truly test their limits: constructing a life-sized elephant.
"I'm so excited that I had the idea to make the real size box elephant ‘cause it's going to be amazing!," remarked the chief instigator.
The engineering challenge: Bringing Cheeky to life
With their goal set, the Chinchero group embarked on a massive, collaborative effort that became the highlight of the year. The creation of their elephant matriarch, Cheeky, required the children to utilise sophisticated design thinking and problem-solving skills. This was no mere craft activity; it was a complex engineering project that demanded focused collaboration and persistence.
Staff documented that the process was "all enthusiastic hands-on deck", requiring children to draw on diverse dispositions and skill sets.
One of the fathers helped with the foundations and framing the structure, introducing concepts such as "structural integrity" and "stability"; terminology the children immediately connected to their prior experiences with Minecraft and an igloo project they had recently completed. This demonstrated their capacity for transferable learning, applying abstract concepts to a real-world, large-scale construction.
The project steps reveal their methodical approach and the array of skills developed:
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Formulating the plan: Discussing “structural integrity” and “stability,” linking concepts from prior Minecraft creations.
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Sourcing, sorting, measuring and matching: Practising measurement, estimation, and organisational skills to scout the perfect materials.
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Finding the perfect piece: Using cardboard cutting tools designed for children, refining fine motor skills and precision.
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Paint, paint and more paint: Developing creativity and understanding of colour theory.
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Putting all the pieces together: Applying spatial reasoning and teamwork to assemble the complex parts.
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The finishing touch – adding an Oxpecker bird: A symbolic detail based on the children’s favourite fact, demonstrating their growing awareness of ecological relationships.
As staff documented the process, they captured children’s quotes, revealing their energy, engagement and burgeoning sense of self-efficacy:
- "This is exactly what I had in my mind when I made up this idea!"
- "Maybe we are going to be on TV when people see this!"
- "Or even the museum might want to have it to teach people about elephants?"
- "That would be so amazing… but I don't want him to go to the museum because we will love him too much… maybe they can just take a video and photos."
- "Oh my gosh he really is going to touch the roof! This is just like my idea!”
From sculpture to sanctuary: Turning learning into action
The monumental unveiling of Cheeky, the giant box elephant, took place on World Elephant Day in August. To celebrate, the Chinchero room was transformed into an immersive environment, ‘Welcome to Asia’, complete with a waterfall, river, and mud patch crafted from loose parts and recycled materials. This transformation showcased the children’s play-based learning, creative vision, and their ability to represent complex environments.
Recognising the day's theme, ‘Matriarchs and Memories’, the children proudly assigned Cheeky the role of herd leader, reflecting their research and understanding of elephant social structures and female leadership.
Cheeky then became an inspiration for further action. The children and their families successfully raised more than $500 for the International Elephant Project, translating their classroom learning into tangible, real-world advocacy and fundraising skills.
They now plan to write and illustrate their own book about elephants, ensuring their knowledge and passion for conservation continues to grow and be shared. Meanwhile, Cheeky stands proudly in the Chinchero classroom, as an enduring symbol of child-led inquiry in action.
World Elephant Day: Reflection from an educator
The scene was set for our favourite creatures,
"Welcome to Asia"—oh how we captured its features.
Our "Real Size" Matriarch standing proud
Continuing to pull the biggest crowd!
Photos were taken and our achievement admired
As we reflected on the creative journey that had just transpired.
We added our Oxpeckers to the very top
The finishing touch after working nonstop.
Out the front we shared our message with the upmost care
Promising the elephants we would always be there.
We invited everyone to join our cause by adding an elephant to our footpath discourse!
Trunk to tail up and down the ramp
It looked like the ultimate elephant camp!
We reflected on how important sanctuaries are
And hope that people passing by would see our elephants from their car.
Facts were swapped; donations made
Elephant puppets were created,
As Henry Mancini's 'Baby elephant walk' played.
We paraded through the centre wearing our elephant costumes with pride.
Balanced along the elephant line and put on a little circus inspired performance outside!
Then habits were explored through dramatic play
Before we sat with "Cheeky" our Matriarch and thought… wow what a day!