Options (ontology):

Methods of interacting with the gods in elemental polytheism:

Generic:

1: Indifference/inaction
2: Worship (i.e. recognize that they are superior and that we as mortals are inferior)
3: Following (i.e. trying to follow their path... it's more like a self-improvement thing compared to 'worship')
4: Do ut des (I give so that you will give): a relationship with the gods based on offerings towards them so that they will give favors to us humans in return. Very transactional. The Romans did it.
5: Gratitude-theism: a relationship with the gods based on gratitude. The gods have already given us so much good stuff, so it's natural to display gratefulness towards them
6: Learn their teachings, and achieve new metaphysical knowledge.
7: Curse them, hate them.
7.1: Curse them on the basis that they are gods (maltheism/misotheism)
7.2: Curse only the ones that represent things one may oppose (e.g. war, famines, disasters, suffering, maybe death etc.) while being neutral or perhaps even admiring/worshipping the gods that represent things one may admire. In the case of elemental polytheism, it's currently unclear to me which elements one may oppose, as things like fire, water etc. can be both damaging or beneficial depending on the context.
8: Do (I give): a relationship with the gods based on offering towards them... for nothing in return (really?!). But why?
8.1: A sense of identity? May be able to self-identify as "polytheist" and get bragging rights... but why? You're a polytheist with the other approaches as well. Perhaps an explanation is that you'd like to receive something from the gods, but the gods are not giving you any gift... (or maybe they did and you just didn't notice?)
9: Des (you give) (perhaps very similar to #5 gratitude-theism?): a relationship with the gods based on their offering towards you.
9.1. (identical to #5 gratitude-theism?): the gods have already given you so many things, the only thing to do is to recognize it, and not take the "little pleasures" for granted.
9.2: the gods will give you good things in the future, you don't have to give the gods anything or do anything in particular. The gods will please you, sooner or later. But why haven't they done that already?

Etc. etc.

Worship can involve prostrating/kneeling, to symbolize that the gods (or God, for a monotheist) are superior and humans are inferior and it's focused on that concept.
Following can involve what I call "ritual stretching", to symbolize that while the gods (or God) are superior to humans, the focus here is not on the inferiority of humans per se, but rather, it's a call for help for self-improvement. Now, the interesting aspect of this is that self-improvement does NOT mean one becomes "more similar" to the gods, because let's say a human is... +1 or any finite integer, and a god is infinite (in terms of 'how good'), a human increasing their value from +1 to, say +3, has improved, but s/he has NOT become "more similar" to the gods, the difference between a human and a god is still the same (infinite). This is the perfect analogy.

Specific:

1: the elements ARE the gods
2: the elements are gods but there are gods that are not elements
3: all gods have an element associated with them
4: some (not all) gods have an element associated with them
5: gods can have, at most, only one element associated with them
6: gods can have more than one element associated with them
7: elements are considered belongings of the gods only, and the gods are conceptualized as completely distinct and separate from humans.
8: the gods are conceptualized as completely distinct and separate from humans, but the elements are considered belongings to the gods and humans alike.
9: the gods are not necessarily completely separate from humans, as humans may have some 'divine spark' within them, and through that divine spark, elemental properties may be achieved or interacted with directly.

Some possible conceptualizations of the elements:

Conceptualization 1:

Wind: the accelleration of something that already exists e.g. studying more than you usually do, exercizing more than you usually do, self-improvement etc. but it can be the accelleration of a bad thing too!
Water: being flexible and adapting to the various situations, like a liquid in a container. May also be thought of as conformism (which is not *necessarily* a bad thing, as that is a subjective judgement one gives).
Fire: to quit one's vices or other traits that one does not desire
Ice: not adapting to the various situations, not letting the context you live in shape you, being inflexible, unchanging... staying true to your own ideals, non-conformism.
Thunder: quick, sudden changes in one's life or way of thinking that may or may not have lasting consequences.