Elmer the Elephant – Early Years Activities with Pattern Parade Game
Celebrate being different, Elmer style
Elmer the Patchwork Elephant by David McKee is one of the most loved picture books in early years settings. Children instantly connect with Elmer’s bright, colourful squares and the powerful message that being different makes you special.
These five hands-on activities use Elmer’s patchwork, his elephant herd, and his gentle adventures to explore colour, individuality, friendship, and belonging. The interactive game invites children to spot the “real” Elmer as he joins his colourful cousins in the parade.
Our Top 5 Elmer Activities
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🎪 Elmer’s Parade!
Elephants are marching past! Tap the real Elmer — the patchwork one — and try not to tap his grey cousins.
Round 1 / 3
Find the patches!
Tap the patchwork Elmer — not the grey ones!
Found
0 / 4
👀 Watch out! Grey elephants are sneaking
into the parade. Tap the patchwork Elmer before he walks past!
Keyboard play: tab to an elephant and press Enter or Space to choose it.
Activity 1
Elmer’s Colour-Mix Science Lab
Best for: Understanding the World, Science, Expressive Arts & Design
What you need
- Red, yellow, and blue washable paint
- White paper plates or small pots
- Plastic pipettes or teaspoons
- Elmer reference card with patch colours
- White and black paint (optional)
How to set it up
- Set up a tray with the three primary paint colours.
- Children predict what colour red + yellow will make.
- Mix two colours, then add a third to create new shades.
- Match the new colour to one of Elmer’s squares.
💬 Adult prompts
- “What do you think red and blue will make together?”
- “Which colour on Elmer looks like sunshine?”
- “Can you mix a colour that isn’t on Elmer yet?”
- “What happens if you add a tiny drop of white to your mix?”
📚 EYFS links
- Understanding the World (scientific exploration, cause and effect)
- Expressive Arts and Design (colour, experimentation)
- Communication and Language (describing, comparing)
- Maths (counting drops, comparing amounts)
🚀 Extension ideas
- Record mixing results in a class “Elmer colour recipe book”
- Try mixing secondary colours into a third primary to make browns
- Investigate which two colours make Elmer’s grey
- Predict and chart the most popular mixed colour
💡
Aprons on! Mix on a wipe-clean table or tuff spot for easy clean-up between children.
Activity 2
Patchwork Square Stamping
Best for: Fine Motor, Expressive Arts, Pattern
What you need
- Pre-cut elephant body shapes (one per child)
- Foam or sponge squares (5-6 different sizes)
- Six paint colours matching Elmer’s patches
- Paper plates for paint palettes
- Aprons and wipes
How to set it up
- Show the Elmer cover for inspiration.
- Children dip sponge squares in different colours.
- Stamp overlapping squares across the elephant body.
- Leave a grey head and ears to keep Elmer recognisable.
💬 Adult prompts
- “Which colours are next to each other on Elmer?”
- “Can you make a stripey pattern with three squares?”
- “What happens if two stamps overlap?”
- “Which colour did you use the most? Why?”
📚 EYFS links
- Physical Development (fine motor control, grip)
- Expressive Arts and Design (colour, pattern, composition)
- Maths (counting squares, repeating patterns)
- PSED (taking pride in own creation)
🚀 Extension ideas
- Cut finished elephants out and create a class “herd” display
- Try stamping with shapes other than squares (circles, triangles)
- Make a “Find Elmer’s match” game with two finished elephants
- Add Elmer-style names underneath in colourful lettering
💡
Pre-cut card stock elephant shapes in advance so stamping time is all about colour and pattern!
Activity 3
Elmer’s Stillness Listening Game
Best for: PSED, Communication & Language, Regulation
What you need
- A quiet carpet space or circle of cushions
- Soft chime, rain stick, or gentle bell
- Picture card of Elmer sitting still
- Optional: jungle sounds audio
- Timer or soft drum
How to set it up
- Gather children in a calm circle.
- Introduce Elmer as the “stillness master”.
- Ring the chime to start the listening time.
- Children sit perfectly still until the second chime.
💬 Adult prompts
- “What sounds can you hear when you’re very still?”
- “How does your body feel when you’re calm?”
- “Did you hear a bird? A clock? Your own breathing?”
- “Which animal in the jungle moves the slowest?”
📚 EYFS links
- PSED (self-regulation, calming strategies)
- Communication and Language (listening, attention)
- Understanding the World (sounds in the environment)
- Physical Development (posture, controlled breathing)
🚀 Extension ideas
- Add a “listening map” with sticky notes for sounds children hear
- Try stillness with eyes open vs. closed — which is easier?
- Play short animal sound clips for children to identify silently
- Practise before transitions to calm the group
💡
Start with 30 seconds for two-year-olds and build up to two minutes. Praise stillness with gentle, specific language.
Activity 4
Elmer’s Herd Hide & Seek
Best for: Physical Development, Spatial Awareness, Maths
What you need
- 8–10 small elephant figures (one in patchwork)
- Clipboards with a “Herd Tracker” sheet
- Tally marks or stamps for counting
- A small “Elephant Bell” (a hand bell)
How to set it up
- Hide elephants around the room before children arrive.
- Hand out a clipboard and tracker sheet to each child.
- Children hunt, count, and mark each find with a tally.
- Reveal total count and find the patchwork Elmer last.
💬 Adult prompts
- “Where might Elmer hide? Up high or down low?”
- “How many elephants have you found so far?”
- “Which one is real Elmer? How do you know?”
- “Can you walk quietly so the elephants don’t run away?”
📚 EYFS links
- Physical Development (moving in space, positional language)
- Maths (counting, tallying, comparing quantities)
- Understanding the World (identifying similarities and differences)
- Communication and Language (describing locations)
🚀 Extension ideas
- Add positional language cards: “behind”, “next to”, “under”
- Hide elephants with numbers on and order them on return
- Time the hunt and challenge children to beat their previous time
- Take the hunt outdoors with waterproof elephants
💡
Rotate the hiding spots between sessions so returning children get a fresh challenge!
Activity 5
Rainbow Ribbon & Rhyme Songs
Best for: Music, Expressive Arts, Communication & Language
What you need
- Ribbon wands or chiffon scarves in 6 rainbow colours
- A short song with a colour sequence (e.g. Elmer rhyme)
- Printed colour cards for visual cueing
- Small shakers or bells (one per child)
How to set it up
- Hand out a different coloured ribbon to each child.
- Sing the song slowly, waving the matching ribbon on cue.
- Add shaker bells for the chorus and stomp for Elmer’s feet.
- Swap ribbons so everyone tries each colour.
💬 Adult prompts
- “When you hear your colour, can you wave your ribbon high?”
- “Which colour comes next in the song?”
- “How does your ribbon move when the music is fast?”
- “Can you sing the rhyme and do the actions at the same time?”
📚 EYFS links
- Expressive Arts and Design (music, movement, performance)
- Communication and Language (vocabulary, listening, singing)
- Physical Development (gross motor, coordination)
- Maths (colour sequence, pattern recognition)
🚀 Extension ideas
- Make up new verses about Elmer’s friends in other colours
- Add a parachute and lift it on each colour cue
- Record the performance and play it back for families
- Use the ribbons for calm-down “rainbow breathing”
💡
Sing the same rhyme for a whole week — repetition builds confidence and language. By day five, most children will sing along!
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers for running Elmer activities in early years
What age range are these Elmer activities suitable for?
All five activities cover the full EYFS range from 1 to 5. The Colour-Mix Lab and Patchwork
Stamping suit younger toddlers with close support. The Stillness Listening, Herd Hide & Seek,
and Rainbow Songs work beautifully for two, three, four and five-year-olds. The Elmer’s Parade game
is playable by nursery-age children with an adult sitting alongside, and grows in challenge round
by round.
How do Elmer activities link to the EYFS framework?
Together they cover all seven EYFS areas. Communication and Language through rhymes and
listening games, Personal, Social and Emotional Development through individuality and calm-down
time, Physical Development through hide & seek and ribbon dancing, Literacy through Elmer’s
repeated patterns, Mathematics through counting the herd and mixing colours in sequence, Understanding
the World through colour science and Elmer’s jungle home, and Expressive Arts and Design through
stamping, mixing, and music.
Do I need the book to run these activities?
It helps a lot but isn’t essential. Reading Elmer first gives children the context of the patchwork
and the message of being different. However, the activities work as standalone colour, music, and
movement experiences. If you have multiple Elmer books in the series, swap them across the week for
fresh story content.
How do I talk about difference in an age-appropriate way?
Use Elmer’s own story: he’s different from his grey herd, but his difference is what makes everyone
love him. Celebrate children’s own favourite colours, eye colours, hair types, and family
structures. Avoid comparing or ranking — emphasise that “we are all Elmer in some way”. The
Rainbow Songs activity is a lovely closing circle to reinforce belonging.
Can I run these activities outdoors?
Yes! The Herd Hide & Seek works brilliantly in a garden or outdoor area. Rainbow Ribbons are
even more joyful with extra space. Patchwork Stamping can move to a fence with big paintbrushes and
water. The Stillness Listening game is calming in any quiet outdoor corner.
How can I involve families?
Send home a “patchwork square” template for each family to decorate together, then build a giant
class Elmer from all the squares. Share the rainbow song for home sing-along. Invite parents to
contribute old fabric scraps for a real patchwork elephant display. Encourage families to share
photos of Elmer books from their own childhoods.