Easy And Magical Elmer The Elephant Craft Activity

Try out this fun and mesmerizing Elmer the Elephant craft activity with a magical twist! Start by drawing Elmer on a paper kitchen towel; we have a free craft template available. Then place it on top of a colorful backdrop you’ve painted yourself. Next, “color” the paper towel with just water, and watch as the vibrant patchwork of Elmer the Elephant magically appears.

Elmer is one of the most iconic and widely read children’s book characters of all time. For those unfamiliar with Elmer, he is a multicolored elephant who lives happily among a grey herd. After trying and failing to hide his true self, Elmer learns that his friends love him for his uniqueness. The story teaches children to embrace their differences and always be true to themselves.

For this craft, you only need a few basic supplies that you likely already have at home, including white cardstock, paper towels, colorful markers, water, and a brush. This low-prep activity is perfect for a classroom setting. Read along for a classroom craft suggestion.

See more details on the craft materials and the step-by-step craft instructions below.

A Fun and Colorful New Year´s Craft Activity!

We love to use this craft technique to match the Elmer the Elephant books, but did you know that his crafting technique is perfect for many different occasions? For example, a New Year’s Eve activity. The vibrant colors make it an ideal project for celebrating this festive occasion. You can draw fireworks, sweets, balloons, party hats, or even the upcoming year. For example, write “2025” on a paper towel, place your design on the colorful backdrop, and let your child “color” with water. The new year will magically and colorfully appear underneath the paper towel. This will create a colorful representation of the new year!

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Craft Supplies Needed For Elmer The Elephant Craft Activity

• Craft template Elmer the Elephant (optional)
• Kitchen paper towels
• White paper/cardstock
• Colored markers (preferably permanent markers like these)
• Glass of water
• Brush
• Tablecloth or placemat

Create Magic, Step By Step Craft Instructions

Step 1: Gather the craft supplies above. You can print the free Elmer the Elephant template if you like. Look for a paper towel with no obvious print for the best results. Ideally, you want to use permanent markers so you can use the colorful sheet repeatedly. But this is not mandatory; the first time, we used basic markers, which also worked fine.

 

Step 2: Begin by coloring the background sheet with vibrant colors; see pictures A and B above. We used cardstock and permanent markers for this purpose. This allows you to reuse the sheet repeatedly without worrying about color bleeding or the paper wrinkling. Cut your paper into a square that fits perfectly underneath the paper towel.

 

Step 3: Now, color your cardstock paper. We created a colorful patchwork pattern inspired by Elmer the Elephant by coloring square blocks on our sheet. For reference, see the pictures A and B above. However, you can color the page in any way you like! I recommend using as many bright colors as possible, such as orange, red, purple, pink, green, and blue. These colors really stand out nicely!

If your child is small, I recommend making the colorful background yourself. If your kid is older, they can draw it themselves. Just be careful when using permanent markers.

Step 4: What drawing would you like to create on your paper towel? We completed this craft activity twice: first, after reading the book “Elmer the Patchwork Elephant,” see pictures D, E, and F for reference.

We tried this craft activity again for New Year’s Eve, where I drew fireworks, the upcoming year, and some festive items on a paper towel. We also created a colorful dinosaur (see picture L), which was a big hit with the kids.

This activity is perfect for various occasions, such as a (birthday) party, animals or during the spring season. You can draw butterflies, flowers, Easter eggs, and more!

Step 5: Once your drawings are complete, it’s time to let the magic happen. Give your child a small glass of water; a little goes a long way. Let them “color” the paper towel sheet with the water. You only need a small amount, and the colorful background will magically appear. See how Elmer the Elephant’s patchwork skin appears?

 

Turn This Magical Craft Into a Colorful a Fun Classroom Project

For a classroom project, start by having the children color a colorful background on white cardstock paper. Permanent markers work well, but basic school markers are fine too.

Once each child has created their colorful backdrop, give each student a paper towel and a black permanent marker for them to draw on. You can choose a theme, such as animals, nature, a New Year’s Eve party, hobbies, etc., or let them create their designs. Something that reminds them of their classmate, for example.

Encourage them to make simple and easy-to-color drawings. After they finish, have them exchange their drawings with the person sitting next to them so they can color each other’s artwork as a fun surprise.

 

Did you enjoy this Elmer the Elephant Craft Activity craft activity? Then try out this amazing Elmer the Elephant craft and puzzle activity with a free printable. One of our most popular activities and blog posts!

 

 

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