10 Living and Non-Living Things Kindergarten Activities
Living and Non-Living Things for Kindergarten
Have you ever wondered why a dog can run and bark, but a rock just sits there? Some things in our world are alive, and some are not! Teaching kids about living and non-living things is a fun way to help them understand the differences between plants, animals, and objects.
In this easy-to-follow guide, we’ll explore:
✅ What are living and non-living things?
✅ How to tell the difference?
✅ 10 fun, hands-on activities for young learners!
✅ Printable worksheets for extra learning!
What Are Living and Non-Living Things?
Kids can understand the difference between living and non-living things by asking a simple question:
👉 Does it grow, move, breathe, or need food?
Living Things:
✔️ Grow – A kitten becomes a cat, a seed becomes a tree.
✔️ Move – Birds fly, fish swim, and kids run!
✔️ Breathe – Animals and plants take in air.
✔️ Need Food & Water – All living things eat or drink.
Non-Living Things:
❌ Do NOT grow – A toy car stays the same size.
❌ Do NOT move on their own – A rock doesn’t walk.
❌ Do NOT breathe – A chair doesn’t need air.
❌ Do NOT need food or water – A teddy bear doesn’t eat!
10 Fun Hands-On Activities for Living and Non-Living Things
1. Living or Non-Living Sorting Game
📌 Objective: Help kids classify things as living or non-living.
🔹 Materials: Pictures of animals, plants, toys, and objects.
📝 Instructions:
- Show kids a mix of pictures.
- Ask them to sort them into “Living” and “Non-Living” categories.
- Discuss why they belong in each category.
🎯 Learning Outcome: Kids understand how to classify objects.
2. Nature Walk: Find Living and Non-Living Things
📌 Objective: Observe real-life examples of living and non-living things.
🔹 Materials: A nature checklist.
📝 Instructions:
- Go outside and let kids point out living things (trees, birds, insects).
- Have them find non-living things (rocks, benches, swings).
- Discuss their observations.
🎯 Learning Outcome: Kids see real-world examples of living and non-living things.
3. Does It Grow? Experiment 🌱
📌 Objective: Show kids that only living things grow.
🔹 Materials: A seed, a rock, a small toy.
📝 Instructions:
- Plant a seed in soil and place a rock and toy next to it.
- Water the seed daily.
- After a week, compare! The seed grows, but the rock and toy do not.
🎯 Learning Outcome: Kids learn that living things grow and change.
4. Living vs. Non-Living Dance Game
📌 Objective: Get kids moving while learning.
🔹 Materials: None!
📝 Instructions:
- Call out an object (“Dog!”) – If it’s living, kids jump.
- Call out a non-living object (“Table!”) – Kids freeze.
- Play until all kids get it right!
🎯 Learning Outcome: Helps kids quickly recognize living and non-living things.
5. Feed the Living Things
📌 Objective: Teach kids that living things need food and water.
🔹 Materials: Toy animals, toy cars, cups of water, pretend food.
📝 Instructions:
- Ask kids to “feed” the objects.
- They should “feed” the dog but not the teddy bear!
- Discuss why only some things need food.
🎯 Learning Outcome: Kids learn that only living things need food.
6. Pet Rock vs. Pet Plant
📌 Objective: Compare a living and non-living “pet.”
🔹 Materials: A small rock, a small plant, a spray bottle.
📝 Instructions:
- Give kids a pet rock and a pet plant.
- Water both daily and observe changes.
- Discuss why the plant changes but the rock stays the same.
🎯 Learning Outcome: Kids see why plants are living things.
7. Puppet Show: Who’s Alive? 🎭
📌 Objective: Reinforce the concept through storytelling.
🔹 Materials: Toy animals, dolls, objects.
📝 Instructions:
- Act out a puppet show where characters ask, “Are you alive?”
- Let kids respond and explain their reasoning.
🎯 Learning Outcome: Helps kids verbalize their understanding.
8. Living and Non-Living I-Spy 👀
📌 Objective: Observe surroundings.
🔹 Materials: None!
📝 Instructions:
- Say, “I spy something that moves on its own!” (Let them guess.)
- Try, “I spy something that never grows!”
🎯 Learning Outcome: Helps kids apply knowledge in everyday life.
9. Draw a Living and Non-Living World 🎨
📌 Objective: Encourage creativity while reinforcing the lesson.
🔹 Materials: Paper, crayons.
📝 Instructions:
- Ask kids to draw a park with living and non-living things.
- Let them explain their choices.
🎯 Learning Outcome: Develops visual classification skills.
10. Living and Non-Living Song 🎶
📌 Objective: Reinforce learning with music.
🔹 Materials: None!
📝 Instructions:
- Sing: “Does it grow? Does it move? If it does, it’s alive for you!”
- Let kids add their own verses.
🎯 Learning Outcome: Memorization through rhythm and repetition.
Vocabulary Words for Kids
✅ Living – Something that grows, moves, and needs food.
✅ Non-Living – Something that does not grow or move.
✅ Grow – To get bigger or change over time.
✅ Breathe – Taking in air (like people and animals do).
✅ Move – To change position by itself.
Printable Worksheets & Activities
🖍️ Sorting Worksheet – Kids match pictures to “Living” or “Non-Living.”
📖 I Spy Nature Hunt – Find and circle living and non-living things.
✂️ Cut-and-Paste Activity – Sort animals, plants, and objects into the right categories.
FAQs About Living and Non-Living Things
Q: Can something be living and then become non-living?
A: Yes! A tree is living, but when cut into wood, it becomes non-living.
Q: Are plants living things?
A: Yes! They grow, need water, and take in air.
Q: Why don’t rocks need food?
A: Because they are non-living! They do not grow or change.
🌟For more fun kindergarten activities, check out this page with tons of other engaging teaching ideas!
