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What does it mean for something to be alive? It means that it eats, breathes, and reproduces. Humans are a clear example! It’s not always easy for students to differentiate living from non-living; especially with things other than humans and animals. That’s why teaching them about the difference between living and non-living things can be a valuable learning opportunity. Here are intriguing 20 living vs non-living activities that you can integrate into your science class.

1. How Do We Know If It’s Living?

What do your students think makes something living? You can choose an obvious example of a living thing and then go through a list of students’ ideas and note the misconceptions. 

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2. What Living Things Need

The needs of living things are what can help differentiate them from non-living things. You can create a chart with your students to compare what living things, animals and plants, need to survive.

Learn More: The Kindergarten Smorgasboard

3. Living or Non-Living Chart

Now, let’s apply this knowledge! You can set up a chart listing living characteristics at the top and different items on the side. Your students can then indicate whether an item has those characteristics. Then, for the final question, they can guess whether it’s living.

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4. Earth Worms vs. Gummy Worms

This hands-on activity can be fun to try with your students. You can bring in earthworms (living) and gummy worms (non-living) for your students to compare and take note of what makes them different. Which of the two moves when you touch them?

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5. Venn Diagram

Venn diagrams can be a great learning resource to compare and contrast items. Your students can make a Venn diagram comparing living and non-living things or they can choose a more specific example. The Venn diagram above compares a real-life bear to a teddy bear.

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6. Writing Prompt

Your students can choose any school-appropriate item they’d like to write about in the context of living and non-living things. They can write about its characteristics and draw a picture to match. 

Learn More: The Kindergarten Smorgasboard

7. Object Sort

Can your students sort the object between living and non-living things? You can collect a box of animal figures, plant figures, and various non-living objects. Then, set up two additional boxes for your students to test their sorting skills.

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8. Simple Picture Sort Board Game

Your students can take turns pulling three picture cards. They can choose one to cover with a Lego on the matching game board after stating whether it’s a living or non-living thing. Whoever gets 5 Legos in a row wins!

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9. Learn the Living Things Song

After listening to this catchy tune, it will be hard for your students not to have a good understanding of living vs non-living organisms. The lyrics can serve as an effective reminder of what constitutes a living thing.

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10. QR Code Self-Checking Task Cards

Is this item living or non-living? Your students can write down their guesses before checking the answer using the QR codes. These self-checking features make this a great homework activity.

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11. Whack-A-Mole

I love playing Whack-A-Mole at the carnival and the fact that there’s an online version that can be transformed for educational purposes is amazing! Students must only hit the moles that display pictures of living things.

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12. Online Group Sort

You can add another category for picture sorting… “dead”. This group includes things that were once living, in contrast to things that were never alive. For example, leaves on trees are living, but fallen leaves are dead. 

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13. Match The Memory

Your students can play this online memory match game with living and non-living things. When they click a card it will be briefly revealed. Then, they must find the other match in the set.

Learn More: Match The Memory

14. Sight Word Game

After rolling dice, if your student lands on a non-living thing, they must roll again and move backward. If they land on a living thing, they must roll again and move forward. They can practice saying the sight words as they progress through the game. 

Learn More: You’ve Got This Math

15. Fill-In-The-Blank Worksheet

Worksheets are an effective way to test your students’ knowledge. This free worksheet includes a word bank for your students to fill in the blanks about living and non-living things.

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16. Living Things Recognition Worksheet

Here’s another free worksheet to try out. This one can be used for assessment purposes or additional practice in recognizing living things. Students must circle the pictures that are living. 

Learn More: Math Worksheets 4 Kids

17. Photosynthesis Craft

It can be hard to grasp that plants are living things too. After all, they don’t eat in the same way as we do. Instead, plants use photosynthesis to generate energy. Teach your students about photosynthesis with this craft paper craft where they craft and label a flower. 

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18. How Does A Leaf Breathe? 

Plants don’t breathe in the same way as humans do. In this investigation activity, your students can observe how plants breathe i.e., cellular respiration. You can submerge a leaf in water and wait a few hours. Afterward, your students can observe the oxygen being released.

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19. Read “Living and Nonliving”

This colorful book can be a great introductory read for understanding the difference between living and nonliving things. You can read this to your students during circle time.

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20. Watch Video Lesson

I find it helpful to complement lessons with videos for review purposes! This video goes over the differences between living and non-living things and asks sorting questions to help students solidify their knowledge.

Learn More: MV KIDS