DescriptionHumans are creative artifact and tool makers. The first step in the manufacturing process is the selection of appropriate materials; yet, relatively little is known about children’s understanding of the properties of different materials that make them suitable for creating particular artifacts. In the 3 studies presented here, we asked children from 3 to 5 years old if different kinds of materials can be used to build a bridge for an elephant to walk on. In Study 1, each material was presented individually to one group that was asked to touch it, and another group that was not, before deciding whether it could be used to make a bridge for an elephant to walk on. If so, the elephant could choose the short route across river, if not, the elephant should take the longer route around the forest. 5-year-old children, but not 3- and 4-year-old children, showed an ability to choose the correct route depending on the material in the Touching-Not-Required condition. Study 2 presented children with a simplified version of Study 1; children were asked to choose which of two materials would make a bridge walk-on-able for an elephant. Since the thickness of the material covaried with the rigidity, study 3 controlled the thickness of the pairs presented; children as young as 3 years old could reliably use the relative rigidity of the samples to select the appropriate material. Our findings suggest that a cognitive precursor for artifact-making behaviors emerges in early childhood.