The Elephant Song: Our New Nursery Rhyme for Babies & Toddlers
The iconic cumulative nursery rhyme is back — with a Boom Lala Boom twist! Discover our brand-new video, the full lyrics, the educational benefits of this counting song and fun creative activities to sing, act out and count with your little ones from 18 months onwards.
The Elephant Song — Our Brand-New Nursery Rhyme!
The best counting nursery rhyme of all time, reimagined by Boom Lala Boom for your little ones
Watch on YouTubeThe nursery rhyme everyone loves, reimagined
Some nursery rhymes never go out of style. One Elephant Went Out to Play — known in many cultures as the "Elephant Song" — is one of them. Beloved across dozens of languages and countries, this cumulative song has enchanted children for over a century through its irresistible structure: one elephant calls a friend, then two, then three — building a joyful crescendo that toddlers absolutely love to anticipate.
At Boom Lala Boom, we've brought our own vibrant twist to this timeless classic. The result is a colourful, rhythmic and educationally rich video — available today on our YouTube channel. Sing along, act it out, count together: let the adventure begin!
- One elephant went out to play upon a spider's web one day.
He had such enormous fun,
He called for another elephant to come! - Two elephants went out to play upon a spider's web one day.
They had such enormous fun,
They called for another elephant to come! - Three, four, five… the web holds strong —
the elephants keep calling, and the fun goes on and on!
Why this song is a hidden educational gem
Behind its charming simplicity, the Elephant Song is an extraordinarily rich tool for early childhood development. Its cumulative structure makes it one of the most widely used nursery rhymes by educators in English-speaking, French-speaking and Spanish-speaking communities alike. In 2025, educational trends confirm a surge in demand for content combining music, early numeracy and storytelling for children aged 0–6.
Early Counting Skills
The 1, 2, 3… progression built into the song's structure introduces children as young as 18 months to ordinal numbers and number sequences in a completely natural, joyful way.
Language Development
The rhythmic repetition of syllables and the cumulative structure strengthen verbal memory, articulation and phonological awareness — three essential pillars of early literacy.
Social Values Through Song
The elephant calls a friend: the song naturally models cooperation, friendship and inclusion — fundamental values communicated gently and with humour.
Anticipation & Patience
The cumulative structure creates joyful narrative tension: children wait for the next elephant to arrive. This capacity to anticipate is a key cognitive milestone between ages 2 and 5.
Counting with the elephants — 1 to 10
Use the song to introduce or reinforce the number sequence. Point to each number together as you sing!
💡 Did you know? Cumulative nursery rhymes like the Elephant Song generate on average 3× more replays among children aged 1–4 than non-cumulative songs. The anticipation of the next elephant creates a uniquely powerful engagement loop!
Actions to sing with your hands
The song comes fully alive when acted out. Gestures boost memorisation, stimulate fine motor skills and turn singing into a full-body shared experience.
🐘 The elephant sways
Hold one arm in front of you like a trunk and sway it slowly left to right. Sway your whole body with it — children love feeling the rhythm with their entire body.
🕸️ The spider's web
Interlace the fingers of both hands to create a web pattern. Show it to your child and invite them to copy the gesture — a fantastic fine motor exercise.
📞 Calling a friend!
Hold one hand to your ear like a phone, looking at your child with a conspiratorial smile. Dramatic pause… then count together on your fingers for the next elephant.
🔢 Count on your fingers
At each new verse, raise one more finger. When you reach ten, throw both hands up high — a shared moment of triumph that little ones absolutely beam at!
🎉 The grand parade!
Finish with a big elephant parade: walk in a line, swinging your arms like trunks. Laughter and applause guaranteed every single time.
The Elephant Song in 2025: why it's trending again
Across English-speaking communities worldwide, the Elephant Song is experiencing a significant digital renaissance. Parents and educators are actively seeking high-quality, free content to support early numeracy learning — and this cumulative song delivers on every front: progressive structure, universal theme, irresistible melody.
Key trends in early childhood education for 2025–2026 confirm strong demand for nursery rhymes linking music and maths (counting, ordinal numbers), multilingual and multicultural resources, and content equally suited for nursery, preschool and home use. Our video is designed precisely for all these contexts, with rich visuals and an earworm melody.
Creative activities inspired by the song
Extend the magic beyond the screen with these simple, engaging activities:
Draw the Elephants
Invite your child to draw 1, 2, 3 elephants while counting aloud. Stick them on a large sheet to create the bedroom's "elephant web".
Make a Spider's Web
Use yarn and sticks to weave a giant tactile web. Hang paper elephants from it — a beautiful blend of craft, storytelling and counting.
Elephant Number Cards
Cut cards showing 1, 2, 3… elephants. During the song, flip the right card at each verse. Combines game, counting and music in one activity.
Boom Lala Boom: songs that grow with your child
Every Boom Lala Boom video is crafted as a complete tool: a melody that sticks, visuals that stimulate, and a structure that supports child development from 0 to 6 years. The Elephant Song is no exception — designed to be watched, sung, acted out and used in creative activities again and again.
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🐘 The video is live right now!
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Watch The Elephant Song →