Today in class we discussed archaeological evidence of play and learning in childhood flintknapping.
The evidence isn't ideal, and the analysis is complicated, but I love the idea of a roving gang of children of various ages, packing around hammerstones and low-quality knappable stone, leaving little piles of trash wherever they go and hassling every grownup in the village to help them make good tools.
Of moms watching small bits of debris narrowly miss the fish she just filleted and going "you know who's really good at making spears? Your uncle Bob is really good at making spears. Why don't you go ask him and let me cook?"
Of grandparents who aren't up to going out to gather today sitting for hours showing whatever kids are around new ways to make things.
Of circles of skilled toolmakers interspersed with little kids who watch them intensely, making squiggly, probably-not-very-sharp versions of grownup tools, and proudly showing them off, and using them to make more things.
Humans have always been humans, and kids have always been kids.