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Is a tree alive? What about a toy robot? Help your little learners explore the world around them with our fun and educational Living and Nonliving Things worksheets! These hands-on activities are perfect for building early science skills as kids learn how to tell the difference between things that grow, move, and breathe — and things that don’t.
Download Living and Nonliving Things Worksheets
What Are Living and Nonliving Things?
Everything around us can be grouped into living or nonliving things. But how do we tell the difference?
Living things are alive! They can grow, move, breathe, eat, and have babies. They also react to the world around them. People, animals, plants, and even tiny insects are all living things. A dog that runs, a flower that blooms, or a fish that swims — these are all living because they show signs of life.
Nonliving things, on the other hand, do not eat, grow, or breathe. They don’t move by themselves or respond to anything. A rock, a toy, or a pencil is a nonliving thing. They might be useful or fun, but they are not alive.
Here’s a fun fact: Some nonliving things were once living! For example, a wooden table used to be part of a tree. But since it no longer grows or breathes, it is now nonliving.
Coloring the Living and Nonliving Things Worksheet
- Look at the pictures. Can you differentiate living and nonliving things? Color the living things blue, color the nonliving things red.
- Color the pictures of living things. Put a cross through the pictures of nonliving things.
Fill in the Blank Living and Nonliving Things Worksheet
- Classify living and non-living things. Write L for living things and NL for nonliving things.
- Write some examples under each heading to show your understanding.
- Read each sentence below carefully. Write T for True or F for False in the box next to each statement. Think about what makes something living: Does it grow, move, eat, breathe, or reproduce?
Circle the Correct Living and Nonliving Things Worksheet
- Look at each picture. Circle Yes if it’s a living thing and No if it’s not.
- Look at the picture from the start to the finish point. Check all the living things on the trail and cross out the nonliving things.
- Look at the pictures. Circle the living things.
- Look at the pictures on the left side. Identify whether they are living or nonliving things and circle the correct answer on the right side.
- Look at the picture. Tick the living things in green, and cross the non-living things in red.
Drag and Drop the Living and Nonliving Things Worksheet
- Read the words on the word bank, drag and drop them onto the correct category below.
- Look at the pictures at the bottom of the page. Drag the pictures into their correct column.
Counting the Living and Nonliving Things Worksheet
- Count the pictures and write their numbers.
More About Living and Nonliving Things Worksheet and Vocabulary
How to Teach Living and Nonliving Things Using Worksheets
Teaching living and nonliving things with worksheets becomes more fun and effective when combined with interactive learning. Here’s how to make the most of it:
- Start with a simple explanation: Talk about the five main features of living things — they grow, move, eat, breathe, and reproduce.
- Add thinking-based worksheets: Use true or false questions, matching exercises, or fill-in-the-blank sentences to test understanding.
- Make it hands-on: After the worksheet, take a nature walk or let kids explore the classroom to find real-life examples of living and nonliving things.
- Encourage discussion: Talk about each answer together and ask questions like “Why do you think this is living?”