Elmer the patchwork elephant puzzle + free printable.
If you have magnetic tiles at home and your child likes Elmer the Elephant books, you will love this Elmer the Elephant puzzle activity with FREE printable. For those unfamiliar with Elmer, he is a multicolored patchwork elephant who lives happily among a grey herd. After attempting to hide his true self, he learns that his friends love him for his uniqueness. Elmer’s bright and colorful patchwork skin makes him the perfect character for a puzzle activity.
Why you should try this Elmer the Elephant puzzle
Our patchwork elephant, created with magnetic tiles, provides a fun activity and educational purpose. Magnetic tiles are fantastic toys for children of different ages, offering a versatile and open-ended play experience. They can be easily combined with various other toys for STEM and imaginative play, making them a valuable tool for learning.
Creating the puzzle is easy; you only need cardboard and tile-shaped blocks. Different brands sell magnetic tiles, and any brand will work. If you don’t have magnetic tiles, you can easily replace them with other similarly shaped blocks or squares, or you can even create them yourself from cardboard or colored paper. The possibilities are endless, and the process is simple. To go with the puzzle, we have created an Elmer the Patchwork elephant printable, which you can download for free right here. This free resource is for personal or classroom use only.
By using this site, you agree to our terms of use. This article may contain affiliate links.
Elmer the Elephant DIY puzzle + free printable
Different ways to play with Elmer the Elephant puzzle
- Create a cardboard elephant puzzle, as shown in the pictures above. For this, you need two big cardboard pieces of the same size. Trace the elephant shape of magnetic tiles on one piece of cardboard. Cut the inside of the elephant so the outside shape stays neat. Glue the outside on your second cardboard piece. You can add a raster with a white or black marker so it’s clear where the magnetic tile pieces go. You can also leave the raster out to make it more challenging.
- You can also do the quick and easy puzzle version. Trace the outside lines of the elephant on white paper and add a raster if you like.
- If your child is older, you can give the cards and see if they can create the elephant shape by looking carefully at the card.
- Use your cardboard puzzle or trace the elephant on paper; choose one of the elephant cards and put a few magnetic tiles on the puzzle to see if your child can guess which elephant cards you’re recreating.
Would you like to create this craft from cardboard? Then, gather the craft supplies below.
Craft supplies for DIY Elmer the Elephant puzzle
- Cardboard
- Magnetic tiles or colored shapes
- White/black marker
- Glue
- Scissor/craft knife
- Elmer the Elephant book
- Elmer the patchwork elephant printable cards
Elmer the Elephant craft idea for kids
Step-by-step craft instructions
Step 1: Gather your craft supplies.
Step 2: Create an elephant shape from Magnetic Tiles like in the picture. If you don’t have Magnetic Tiles, use a similar product or create them from cardboard.
Step 3: Start with two big cardboard squares of the same size. One for your puzzle background and the other square you use to trace and cut out your elephant shape.
Step 4: Trace your elephant shape on one of the cardboard squares and cut it out with a craft knife.
Step 5: Take your background square and create a raster with a black or white marker; make sure the lines are the same size as the magnetic tiles and that the strings match op with the elephant
Step 6: Glue both squares on top of each other.
Step 7: Create a little elephant tail from yarn or draw a seat with a marker.
Step 8: Enjoy playing and learning!
Check out the blog post favorites for more information about our favorite craft supplies and stores. And don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for step-by-step craft instructions!
Cute hedgehog craft decorated with spring flowers!
Adorable paper roll pinecone squirrels
Homemade crayon candles, DIY gift idea!
Pom-pom ice cream craft, perfect summer craft activity!
[…] you enjoy this 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 […]