🐘 Why Elmer the Elephant Is a Favourite at Fun Box Day Nursery

Here at Fun Box Day Nursery, we love sharing stories that not only entertain but also help our little learners grow—and Elmer the Patchwork Elephant by David McKee is one of our absolute favourites! 🌈📚

This colourful tale of an elephant who learns to love what makes him different is packed with gentle lessons that support children’s development in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)—and the best part? The children adore it. 💛

🌟 Celebrating What Makes Us Unique

In the story, Elmer is unlike any other elephant—he’s patchwork and proud (eventually!). It’s a perfect way to begin talking to our 2–4 year-olds about what makes them special too. At Fun Box, we use Elmer to open up conversations about similarities and differences, helping our children recognise and celebrate uniqueness in themselves and others. These discussions tie beautifully into the EYFS Personal, Social and Emotional Development goals—supporting confidence, empathy, and positive relationships.

We’ve had some heartwarming moments where children spot their own “patches”—from curly hair to sparkly shoes—and proudly share them with the group. 🥰

🎨 Bringing Elmer the Elephant to Life Through Play

Our little ones have had so much fun bringing Elmer’s world to life with hands-on activities that support fine motor skills, creativity, and colour exploration—key parts of the EYFS Expressive Arts and Design area.

Here’s a peek at some of our Elmer-themed adventures:

• Drawing Elmer: Children used crayons and felt tips to create their own patchwork elephants, exploring shapes and colours as they went.

  
  
  

  
  
  

• Elmer Collage: We loved tearing and sticking colourful tissue paper to make bright collages—great for those tiny fingers!

  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  

• Sensory Rice Tray: Our Elmer-themed rice tray was a hit! The children scooped, poured and sorted coloured rice, sparking conversations about textures and colours.

  
  

  

  
  

• Milk Bottle Elmers: We recycled milk bottles to create 3D Elmer sculptures—so much glue, so many giggles!

  
  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  
  

• Playdough Patchwork: Using colourful playdough to decorate small world elephants helped the children practice pattern-making and storytelling.

  
  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  
  

Each of these activities turns the story into an immersive, multi-sensory experience—and of course, lots of fun! 🎉

😊 Exploring Emotions, Gently

Elmer's story also helps us gently explore feelings. When Elmer tries to change himself to be like everyone else, he feels a bit lost. We talk about that with the children—using simple questions like “How do you think Elmer feels here?” or “Have you ever felt like that?” These chats help build early emotional literacy, supporting the EYFS aim of helping children “understand their own feelings and those of others.”

We’ve even used emotion cards alongside the story to help children link Elmer’s expressions to their own experiences.

🐘 Why We Keep Coming Back to Elmer

With his bright colours and big heart, Elmer is a story that grows with our children. Whether we’re reading it for the first or tenth time, there’s always something new to discover—and another way to celebrate the wonderful patchwork of personalities here at Fun Box Day Nursery. 💕

So next time your little one tells you about a rainbow elephant or brings home a colourful collage, you’ll know: Elmer’s been at it again!