Elmer Day

Resource type: Event

Price band: Free

Key stage: KS1, EYFS

Region(s): All of UK

Elmer Day is a chance to celebrate the importance of friendship, kindness and inclusivity, themes that run through all 30 of the Elmer picture books created by David McKee.

Elmer Day 2025 takes place on 24th May but schools can celebrate at any time that works for them with the help of the free Celebration Pack containing games, craft activities and teaching resources for use with children in EYFS and KS1.

Cost: Free.

About Elmer: Elmer the Patchwork Elephant remains one of the most iconic children’s book characters. Created by acclaimed author and illustrator David McKee, the first Elmer book was published in 1989 by Andersen Press. Since then, Elmer books have been translated into more than 50 languages and enjoyed by young children around the world.

Further resources:

Explore the full range of Elmer books.
Listen to readings of Elmer books by David McKee, Joseph Coelho and Mama G.
Download discussion guides and activities that can be used to explore three of the Elmer books with EYFS, KS1 and KS2 created by CLPE.
Find further reading suggestions to celebrate kindness and empathy from Books for Topics and Best Books for Schools.
The Read for Empathy Collection for primary aged pupils features 40 titles that have been selected to help young children develop an understanding of other people’s feelings and life experiences.
Explore the free teaching resources from 52 Lives School of Kindness, including lesson plans for KS1 and KS2, circle time activities and Kindness Award packs. Or apply for a free Kindness Workshop.
Encourage pupils to think of others and promote reading for pleasure by running a Readathon sponsored read to raise money to provide seriously ill children in hospital with books and storytelling events.
Other opportunities to celebrate friendship, kindness and inclusion through the Literacy Year include A Day of Welcome, School Diversity Week, Anti-Bullying Week and World Kindness Day.
Find further book recommendations and other resources to support mental wellbeing in the Mental Health and Empathy section of the website.