Easy Stone Age Cave Painting Art Project for Kids | Hands-On History Lesson Plan

Bring history to life with our complete lesson plan for a Stone Age Cave Painting Adventure! Perfect for elementary students (approx. age 7), this hands-on art project combines history, creativity, and sensory play. Students learn about early humans and prehistoric art by creating their own masterpiece on a textured 'cave wall' made from a simple paper bag. This easy-to-follow lesson is ideal for the classroom, homeschooling, or a fun afternoon activity that develops fine motor skills and sparks imagination.

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Lesson Plan: Stone Age Cave Painting Adventure

Materials Needed:

  • One large brown paper bag (from the grocery store) or a large piece of brown kraft paper
  • Scissors
  • Earth-toned crayons (brown, black, rust red, orange, yellow)
  • Chalk or oil pastels in similar earth tones (optional, but adds great texture)
  • A small bowl of water and a paintbrush
  • Tape for hanging the finished art
  • A few photos of real cave paintings (like those from Lascaux or Chauvet caves), either printed or available on a screen

Subject

History & Art

Grade Level

Approx. Age 7 (Early Elementary)

Time Allotment

45 Minutes

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:

  • Describe what a cave painting is and share one reason why early humans may have created them (e.g., to tell stories, for good luck in a hunt).
  • Create a piece of art inspired by Stone Age cave paintings using specific techniques and materials.
  • Identify at least two common subjects of cave art, such as animals or human handprints.

Lesson Procedure

Part 1: The Time Machine Journey (5-10 minutes)

  1. Spark Curiosity: Start by saying, "Let's pretend we are time travelers! We're going back in time, way back... 30,000 years ago to the Stone Age. We live in a cave. We don't have books, television, or phones. How would we share our ideas or tell stories about our day?"
  2. Introduce Cave Art: Show the pictures of real cave paintings. As you look at them together, ask guiding questions:
    • "What do you see in these pictures?" (Help them identify animals like horses, bison, mammoths, and deer).
    • "What colors do you see?" (Point out the reds, browns, and blacks).
    • "Why do you think the people who lived in these caves painted on the walls?" (Discuss ideas like telling stories of a hunt, asking for magic for a successful hunt, or just for decoration).

Part 2: Preparing Our Cave Wall (10 minutes)

  1. Explain the Task: "Today, we're going to be cave artists! But first, we need a cave wall." Hand the student the large paper bag.
  2. Create the "Rock": Guide the student through these steps to give the paper a rock-like texture:
    • If using a bag, carefully cut it along one seam so it can be laid out flat as one large rectangle.
    • "Now for the fun part! Crumple the paper up into the tightest ball you can make!"
    • "Okay, now carefully open it back up and smooth it out. Look at all those great wrinkles and textures! It looks just like an old cave wall, doesn't it?"
  3. Set Up the Studio: Tape the "cave wall" to a table or even under a table to create a fun, cave-like environment to work in.

Part 3: Making Our Stone Age Art (20 minutes)

  1. Demonstrate Techniques: "Cave artists used what they could find. They used charcoal from their fires for black, and they crushed up different colored rocks and mixed them with water to make paint. We are going to use some similar tools today."
    • Show them how to use the side of a crayon to make broad, rough strokes.
    • If using chalk or pastels, show them how to dip a corner in water to create a bolder, more paint-like line.
    • Explain the handprint technique: "One of the most famous things cave artists did was trace their hands. They would put their hand on the wall and blow crushed paint around it. We can do that by placing our hand flat and coloring all around the edges to leave a handprint shape."
  2. Creative Time: Let the student create their own cave painting. Encourage them to:
    • Draw animals from the Stone Age. What was their day like? Did they see a woolly mammoth?
    • Tell a story on their cave wall. Is it a story of a hunt? A picture of their family?
    • Try making a handprint outline.

Part 4: Gallery Walk and Wrap-Up (5 minutes)

  1. Share the Story: Ask the student to be a "cave guide" and give you a tour of their painting. Ask, "Tell me the story of your cave wall." This is a fun and informal way to check for understanding.
  2. Make Connections: As you admire the work, ask, "How is your art like the real cave paintings we looked at? How is it different?" Briefly discuss how we still use pictures to tell stories today, just with different tools like cameras, computers, and paper.
  3. Display the Art: Hang the finished cave painting in a special spot.

Differentiation and Accommodations

  • For Extra Support: Provide simple animal outline templates that the student can place on their paper and color inside or around. Focus on the sensory experience of crumpling the paper and drawing with the different tools.
  • For an Extra Challenge: Encourage the student to draw a more complex scene with multiple animals and people interacting. Have them try using a twig or a crumpled leaf to apply the watered-down chalk, simulating a primitive paintbrush.

Assessment

Assessment is informal and based on observation and conversation. Success is measured by:

  • The student's active participation and engagement in the art-making process.
  • The student's ability to verbally share the "story" of their painting and connect it to the themes discussed (animals, hunting, early life).