Every day, we see many different things around us. Some of these things are alive, and some are not. Let’s learn how to tell the difference between living and non-living things with some fun examples!
The world is full of two types of things: living things and non-living things.
Let’s explore some key differences between living and non-living things:
Living Things: They need food to get energy. For example, people eat fruits and vegetables, and animals eat plants or other animals.
Non-Living Things: They don’t need food. A teddy bear or a table doesn’t eat anything.
Living Things: They breathe in air. This helps them stay alive.
Non-Living Things: They don’t breathe. A rock or a toy doesn’t need air.
Living Things: They can move by themselves. People walk, animals run, and plants grow towards the sunlight.
Non-Living Things: They can’t move on their own. A car only moves when someone drives it.
Living Things: They grow bigger over time. Kids grow taller, and plants grow taller and wider.
Non-Living Things: They stay the same size. A chair or a toy doesn’t grow bigger.
Living Things: They can react to things around them. People feel hungry when they see food, and animals might run away if they sense danger.
Non-Living Things: They don’t react to anything. A table or a rock doesn’t change if something happens around it.
Knowing the difference between living and non-living things helps us understand the world better. Living things can grow, breathe, move, and react to their surroundings, while non-living things do not. This knowledge helps us learn more about nature and science!
Living and Non-Living Scavenger Hunt: Go on a scavenger hunt around your home or garden. Make a list of five living things and five non-living things you find. Draw a picture of each item and write one sentence about why it is living or non-living. Share your findings with your family or friends and explain how you decided if something was living or non-living.
Plant Observation Journal: Choose a plant in your home or garden to observe over a week. Each day, draw a picture of the plant and note any changes you see, such as new leaves or flowers. Think about how the plant is a living thing. What does it need to grow? How does it react to sunlight or water? At the end of the week, share your journal with your class and discuss what you learned about living things.
Role-Playing Game: Pretend to be a living thing or a non-living thing. Act out what you do in a day. If you are a living thing, show how you eat, move, and react to your surroundings. If you are a non-living thing, show how you stay the same and don’t need food or air. Ask your friends or family to guess if you are a living or non-living thing based on your actions.
