As a mother and an educator of small children, it’s quite the task to teach the importance of being “authentically you.” With so much in the world teaching our little ones that they should look, act, and talk a certain way, this task is even more daunting but the story of Elmer does this wonderfully. I love dot art for kids and this Elmer craft is the perfect addition to this sweet story!
*This craft pairs perfectly with our Color Centers and Activities for Pre-K & Kindergarten!
Elmer Craft – Dot Art for Kids
What I love about children’s literature is that there are SO many beautifully written stories that illustrate perfectly what it means to embrace who we are and why we are so special. Elmer does just that!
Elmer isn’t your typical elephant, grey in color. Rather, he’s many colors of patchwork! He has a personality larger than life, and everybody around him adores him and being in his presence.
Find out what happens when one day he decides that he doesn’t want to be his beautiful patchwork colors anymore, and how that impacts not only his own self view but the community around him.
I encourage you to share this inspiring children’s book with the little ones in your life and then re-create Elmer in this adorable dot art for kids!
Supplies Needed
- Bingo Dot Art Daubers
- “Elmer” by David McKee
- Elmer Craft FREE Printable (below)
- optional: scissors if you choose to cut out Elmer
- optional: additional crafting supplies
“Elmer” has definitely become a family favorite in our house. We were lucky enough to grab the felt story characters that go along with this beloved children’s book at our local teaching supply store when they were on sale! Boy am I glad that we did because we have thoroughly enjoyed using them.
While the felt characters may be a little trickier to find, you can grab a fun Elmer stuffed toy on Amazon to add a bit of fun to this read aloud.
Here’s my toddler using our felt board with Elmer:
After reading the story, my boys decided to take turns re-telling it with our felt board and Elmer book.
Tip: This would make the perfect center activity in a classroom OR homeschool.
This is one of our favorite pages in the book:
My kids love this story and as soon as we were done reading all about patchwork Elmer, they couldn’t wait to dive into to our Dot Art Elmer Craft!
Keeping it Simple with Dot Art for Kids
We absolutely love creating art with Bingo daubers so I knew that my kids would be thrilled about this Elmer craft. It’s so simple but so fun!
To begin, print the Dot Art Elmer Craft Printable (at the end of the post).
I recommend placing a piece of scrap paper underneath your Elmer printable, this can get messy!
Grab your Bingo daubers and start creating! There is no right or wrong way to paint Elmer. His uniqueness is what makes him so beautiful!
We love to cut out our Elmers and display them proudly but cutting is optional!
Optional: Use extra crafting supplies for children to add more detail to their Elmer.
My daughter decided that Elmer should be spraying water out of his trunk. My son cleverly created the word, “BOOO!” just like the storybook, and my little guy decided to add a googly eye to his Elmer and call it a day.
I just love seeing their different personalities and imaginations at work!
This is such a fun way to create memories with the children in your life and perhaps, with the help of Elmer, you’ve instilled in them the beauty of being “authentically you.”
Grab Your FREE Printable
Ready for some fun with Elmer? Grab your copy of the Elmer printable by clicking the large, yellow download button at the end of the post!
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Love the story and dot activity. This will be a great addition to the Dot Story. Thanks!
Wonderful Kim! So glad you enjoyed it!
Very nice for early learners
Where are the felt Pieces From? I’m trying to gather a collection of felt pieces for all of the stories that I love. I’m just not the best artist to make the pieces myself
Hi Samantha,
We snagged these felt Elmer story characters years ago from a local teaching supply store called “Lakeshore.” Honestly, I’m not sure if they’re available online but perhaps you could also look locally too. I’m not the best at crafting either, there’s no way I could make these felt pieces myself. Good luck on your hunt!