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Cave Painting Craft: Free Printable Craft Activity for Year 3

  • ForYear 3
  • StageKey Stage 2
  • CostFree
  • FormatPrintable PDF
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Cave Painting Craft is a free printable art activity for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8). Children paint like a Stone Age artist. They make a rocky cave wall from scrunched brown paper, draw a big animal in earth colours, add hand prints or patterns, then tell a story about the hunt. Page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas and a stretch task.

It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

Children start by scrunching a sheet of brown paper and opening it out to make a rocky wall. They choose brown, red, yellow and black crayons or chalk, like earth colours. Then they draw a big animal with simple, bold shapes and add hand prints or patterns around it. There is a checklist to tick off and boxes to practise the animal and the patterns. At the end, children hold up their picture and tell a story about the hunt.

  • Scrunch up a sheet of brown paper and open it out to make a rocky wall
  • Use brown, red, yellow and black crayons or chalk, like earth colours
  • Draw a big animal with simple, bold shapes
  • Add hand prints or patterns around it
  • Hold your picture up and tell a story about the hunt
  • Practise your animal here
  • Practise your patterns here

Building your cave wall step by step

Make the rocky wall

Scrunch the brown paper into a tight ball, then open it out slowly. The creases and bumps look like rock. Flatten it gently so it is still easy to draw on.

Pick earth colours

Stick to brown, red, yellow and black. Using only a few colours makes the picture look like it was made long ago. Chalk gives a soft, dusty look. Crayon gives stronger lines.

Draw one big animal

Practise in the box first. Start with a large body shape, then add legs, a head and one or two details. Bold, simple shapes work better than tiny careful ones.

Add prints and patterns

Draw around a hand, or fill the space with dots, lines and zigzags. Practise the patterns in their box first. Then hold the finished picture up and tell its story.

What are cave paintings?

Cave paintings are pictures made on cave walls by people who lived in the Stone Age. Many show animals such as horses, bison and deer. Famous painted caves include Lascaux in France and Altamira in Spain. The artists used materials from the natural world, such as charcoal and coloured earth. That is why the colours are mostly browns, reds, yellows and black.

This craft turns that idea into something children can try. Scrunched paper gives the wall a rough surface. A small set of colours keeps choices simple. Drawing an animal in bold shapes teaches children to pick out the most important parts of what they see. Telling the story at the end links art to speaking and to history.

Cave art facts for children

  • Cave paintings were made by people who lived in the Stone Age.
  • Lascaux in France and Altamira in Spain are two famous painted caves.
  • Many cave paintings show animals, such as horses, bison and deer.
  • Artists used natural colours from the ground, along with charcoal, which is black.
  • Some caves have hand prints on the walls, made by pressing or placing a hand against the rock.

Skills and curriculum link

  • Drawing
  • Using colour
  • Simple bold shapes
  • Pattern making
  • Stone Age art
  • Telling a story

Helpful ideas for adults

  • Look at real cave artFind photographs of cave paintings in a library book or on a trusted museum website. Ask which shapes the artists kept simple and which colours they used.
  • Talk about natural coloursAsk where colours might come from if you had no shops. Soil, clay and burnt wood are good starting points for a chat.
  • Keep it boldEncourage big movements and thick lines. Fine detail is not the aim. A strong shape that tells you what the animal is does the job.
  • Let the story leadAsk who is in the story, where they are and what happens next. Children can speak for a minute or write a line or two afterwards.

Key words

  • Cave paintingA picture painted or drawn on the wall of a cave.
  • Stone AgeA very long period of the past when people made tools from stone and had no metal.
  • PigmentA coloured material that gives paint or chalk its colour.
  • CharcoalA black material made by burning wood. It can be used to draw.
  • OchreA natural earth colour that can be yellow, red or brown.
  • OutlineA line that goes around the edge of a shape.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has notes and ideas, for yourself.
  2. Gather brown paper, brown, red, yellow and black crayons or chalk, and a pencil. Lay them out before you begin.
  3. Work through the sheet together the first time. Practise the animal and the patterns in the boxes, and talk about each choice.
  4. Scrunch the brown paper, open it out, then make a big version of the animal and patterns on it. Tick the checklist as you go.
  5. Hold the picture up and tell the story of the hunt. Come back another day and try a different animal. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.

Help, stretch and game ideas

If it feels too hard

Trace a simple animal shape first. Use thick lines. Start with one big oval for the body, then add legs and a head. Practise in the box before using the brown paper, and let your child choose an animal they already know well.

To stretch confident children

Write a caption that tells the story of your painting. Say who was on the hunt, what happened and how it ended. Then add a second animal or a bigger pattern border, and explain your colour choices to someone else.

Make it a game

Make a cave gallery. Hang the pictures around a darkened room, then let the family walk through with a torch. Each visitor stops at a picture and guesses the animal. The artist tells the story of the hunt.

Talk about it

  • Why do you think people painted animals on cave walls?
  • Which colours did you choose, and why do they feel like earth colours?
  • What makes a shape bold and simple?
  • How did the scrunched paper change the way your picture looks?
  • What story does your painting tell about the hunt?
  • What would you add to your picture if you made another one?

Take it off the page

Natural colour hunt

Go outside and look for natural colours, such as soil, stones, leaves and bark. Rub a little of each on paper to see the marks they make. Wash hands afterwards.

Hand print wall

Draw around hands on different coloured paper. Cut out the shapes and stick them together on a big sheet to make a family hand wall.

Shadow animals

Use a torch to make animal shadows on a wall. Draw around your favourite shadow on paper and colour it in with earth tones.

Who it is for

Parents

Sit with your child for the first go, then let them lead. Praise bold choices, not neat ones. A picture that looks different from anyone else's is exactly right. Keep the story at the end relaxed and fun.

Teachers

Use it as a starter for a Stone Age topic, an art lesson, an early finisher task or a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and collecting paper and crayons. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.

Home educators

Pair it with a library book about the Stone Age or a visit to a museum. It works well for brothers and sisters of different ages, because each child can draw at their own level. Print it again for another animal.

Where this fits in art and history

Before this, children have used drawing and colour in the early years and Key Stage 1. They have made marks, filled shapes and talked about their choices. This sheet builds on that by asking for bold shapes, a limited set of colours and a link to the past.

After this, children can try other ways of making pictures, such as charcoal sketching, clay or printing. They can also explore Stone Age life in history, including how people lived, made tools and found food. Both build on drawing, observing and explaining.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Cave Painting Craft for?

It is written for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8) in Key Stage 2. Younger children can join in with help, and older children can use the stretch idea to add more detail and a written caption.

What do children need for this craft?

They need the printed sheet, a sheet of brown paper, a pencil and brown, red, yellow and black crayons or chalk. Everything else is on the sheet. Lay it all out before starting so the activity flows.

What will children practise?

Children practise drawing, using colour and thinking about Stone Age art. They explore how Stone Age people made art with natural colours. This links to Key Stage 2 art and design and history.

What if my child says they cannot draw?

Start with tracing a simple animal shape using thick lines. The sheet asks for bold, simple shapes, not detail. Practising in the box first helps children feel more confident before they work on the brown paper.

Do I need to print in colour?

No. The sheet prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. The colour comes from the crayons or chalk children use on their own brown paper picture, so there is no need for coloured ink.

Can teachers use it in class?

Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and finding brown paper and crayons. Page 2 has help and stretch ideas for mixed groups.

Is it free, and can I use it for home education?

Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. Home educators and tutors can use it on its own or as part of a wider art or history plan. You can print it again for brothers and sisters.

Preview the full PDF

Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.

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