They have named the creature Marley which appears on the wall of Ilford’s Clementswood Church in Ilford Lane.
The location marks the spot close to where the best-preserved fossil skull and tusks ever found in Britain was discovered by workers in 1864.
Steppe mammoths roamed the area around 200,000 years ago, the children learned.
Artist Caitlin Atherton discussed natural history and recycling with the children who came to school with thousands of bottle lids for the mural.
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“We wanted to represent the skeleton that was unearthed in the 1860s to bring it back to life,” Caitlin explained. “Marley’s mural was designed with his skeleton and colours representing Ilford Lane.”
The mural, commissioned by Redbridge Council, is the second to appear in Ilford Lane, following an enormous kingfisher painted on the side of a building a little further down the road.
Redbridge Council leader Kam Rai said: “Marley being made of recycled plastic shows sustainability in action. This art is an example of this and is something the community can enjoy.
“We’re working towards Redbridge becoming the first borough in the country to be recognised by Unicef UK for being child friendly.”
A six-storey mural is also being finished further along Ilford Lane to celebrate textiles retailers and the materials which are sold in the area.
The mammoth fossil was unearthed in Ilford 160 years ago when workers were digging for clay in Ilford Lane to make bricks.
The skull turned out to be one of the best-preserved ever found in Britain and thought to be around 200,000 years old.
The bones had been preserved by the Thames that used to flow through the area.
The original skull is in the Natural History Museum. A lifesize replica is on show at Redbridge Central Library in Clements Road.
Murals of wildlife were the idea of families in the neighbourhood who wanted more nature to brighten up Ilford Lane.
