This children’s article, The Stone Age explained for kids, has been written for native English speakers and learners of English as a second or foreign language. It can help children build vocabulary, learn about history, and discover how humans lived thousands of years ago. Written by Mark Pulley, a teacher and writer who creates fun and informative news articles for English learners.
What was the Stone Age?
The Stone Age was the earliest period of human history, beginning about 2.5 million years ago and ending around 3,000 BC. It gets its name because people mainly used stone tools to hunt, build, and survive.
Historians divide the Stone Age into three parts: the Palaeolithic (Old Stone Age), the Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age), and the Neolithic (New Stone Age). In each stage, humans made better tools, learned new skills, and slowly changed the way they lived.
Life in the Stone Age
Stone Age people lived in caves or small huts and wore clothes made from animal skins. They were hunter-gatherers, which means they hunted wild animals and collected berries, nuts, and plants to eat. Later, in the New Stone Age, people learned how to grow crops and keep animals, which was the beginning of farming!
Fire was one of their most important discoveries. It gave warmth, protection, light, and a way to cook food.
Tools and inventions
Early humans made tools out of stone, wood, and bone. Sharp stone blades were used as knives, while bigger stones became hammers or axes. In time, people invented the bow and arrow, which made hunting much easier.
They also created the first pieces of art. Some Stone Age caves still show paintings of animals like bison and horses, drawn using natural colours. These paintings tell us a lot about their lives and what mattered to them.
Why is it important?
The Stone Age might seem like a long, boring time ago, but without it, we wouldn’t have the world we live in today. Humans learned how to use tools, farm, and live in groups, which set the stage for villages, towns, and eventually cities.
The Stone Age is important because it was the time when humans began to take their first steps from survival in the wild to building the beginnings of civilisation.
Article vocabulary list
- Stone Age: the earliest time in history when people used stone tools
- Historians: people who study and write about the past
- Hunter-gatherers: people who live by hunting animals and collecting plants
- Crops: plants grown for food, such as wheat or rice
- Farming: growing food and keeping animals for survival
- Invention: something new that is made for the first time
- Bow and arrow: a hunting weapon made of wood and string that shoots arrows
- Civilisation: organised human society with towns, laws, and culture
- Prehistoric: the time before writing was invented
- Archaeologist: a scientist who studies old objects to learn about the past
Comprehension questions
Just click the plus (+) to see the answer
1. Why is it called the Stone Age?
A) Because people liked collecting stones
B) Because people used stone tools
C) Because people lived inside giant stones
Answer: B) Because people used stone tools
2. What did Stone Age people eat?
A) Pizza and chips
B) Only meat
C) Plants, berries, and hunted animals
Answer: C) Plants, berries, and hunted animals
3. What did fire help Stone Age people do?
A) Travel in cars
B) Cook food and stay warm
C) Write books
Answer: B) Cook food and stay warm
4. What kind of art did they make?
A) Cave paintings of animals
B) Sculptures of famous people
C) Photographs
Answer: A) Cave paintings of animals
5. Why is the Stone Age important to history?
A) It was the time when humans learned new skills and began civilisation
B) It was when dinosaurs lived
C) It was when writing was first invented
Answer: A) It was the time when humans learned new skills and began civilisation
Mark is a writer and EFL teacher from England with eight years’ experience. He’s passionate about travel, sport (especially football), animals, nature, and history, and enjoys helping children explore the world through language and learning.
