Kids

Prehistory

Welcome to our guide to Prehistory. Learn about England’s history, discover more about English Heritage sites and find loads of fun things to watch, read and do! Here's what we've got in store for you:

Image: illustration of a cartoon stone age man with food in front of him

What's for dinner in the Stone Age?

8,000 years ago, before farming came to Britain, people were called hunter-gatherers for a reason: if they wanted food, they had to hunt and gather it from the landscape around them. 

Find out what people were tucking into in prehistory and how scientists can use evidence to build up a picture of the past. Plus, download a poster to colour in your own feast scene. 

Tuck into prehistory

Kids Rule! TV - The Bronze Age

Join Esme on a journey back in time, to discover what life was like in the Bronze Age. Along the way you'll discover the secrets of the world's most famous pile of rocks... also known as Stonehenge. And you'll find out what life was like for people who lived in prehistoric roundhouses, including where they went to the loo!

At the end of the episode, test your knowledge in a quickfire quiz!

Watch the entire series
Image: Stonehenge with an illustration of a druid

Uncover the secrets of Stonehenge!

Unravel the mysteries of the world’s most famous ancient site...

Rising from the grassy plains of Wiltshire, Stonehenge is a mysterious circle of giant stones, created around the same time as the Great Pyramid in Egypt. Neolithic people used it for over 1,000 years.  We don’t know why – but there’s a lot we do know.

Discover Stonehenge

Things to make and do: get creative with our prehistory themed activities

  • MAKE a BRONZE AGE ROUNDHOUSE

    Make your own mini model of a Bronze Age roundhouse with our downloadable template and easy step-by-step guide.  Once you’ve finished it, put your model Bronze Age dwelling on display to impress your friends!

  • DESIGN AN IRON AGE SHIELD

    Prepare for prehistoric battle with an Iron Age shield! Read the information to learn about shield designs and some famous shields found at archaeological sites, then download our templates and start designing your own.

  • Colour a prehistoric scene

    Download this colouring sheet to create your own version of our Prehistoric history timeline poster!  Read through the introduction to this era of history, then get creative with coloured pencils, pens or paints. 

  • More things to make and do

    Browse our best ideas and get hands-on and crafty with history. From model historical homes to coats of arms, there’s plenty to be inspired by. Simply download our easy-to-use templates and instructions, and get making!

Read Kids Rule! online

Read issues 1 and 13 of Kids Rule! magazine to learn about life in Prehistoric England, discover our ancient sites, see if you know your Neanderthal from your Neolithic, find out what prehistoric people ate for dinner and much more!

The Kids Rule! magazine series follows the history of England, to help you discover more about the past through fun facts, illustrated stories, games, puzzles and competitions.

Stone Age Poster

Prehistoric Poster: Make a mega timeline!

We've created a series of posters showing how people lived in England through the ages. The first one shows life at a Stone Age settlement in 8000BC.

Each of the posters follows on from each other, so that when you download them all from the Kids Rule! pages, you can create your own mega timeline of English history!

Download the poster