Free Living and Non Living Things Worksheets for Kids

The things that are simple to us, may not be simple to our young learners. Use some free living and non living things worksheets to help you teach your kids all about what’s living and non-living. 

Living and Nonliving Things

It is simple for parents/adults to understand the things that are alive or living. To a child, it is something that we do have to teach. Children play with their toys and play make-believe and at some point, we can turn this into a science lesson about living things and non-living things.

Among all the “things” that surround us in God’s creation, there are two categories the “things” can be classified – living things and non-living things.

Features of Living Things

There are very specific features of living things that separate them from non-living things. Here are a few features of living things to help describe them:

• Living things have motion; some type of voluntary motion. Whether it be snakes slithering through the desert floor or plants that move in order to catch sunlight for the photosynthesis process, living things move.
• Living things experience the chemical reaction of respiration. This chemical reaction occurs within cells that need energy from food and a transport of gasses takes place.
• Living things have the capability of being sensitive to changes in their environment (like touch).
• Living things mature and grow. They move through different stages of development.
• Living things are capable of reproducing or going through the process of reproduction. In the process of this reproduction, genetic information is passed.
• Living things get their nutrients from the processes called nutrition and digestion.
• Living things also eliminate food through excretion of some sort.

Features of Nonliving Things

Simply speaking, nonliving things do not have life. They are not alive.

• There are no cells or protoplasm present in nonliving things, which are necessary for life itself to exist.
• Nonliving things do not have a definite size in and of themselves. They instead are made according to their environment or take the form of something they are placed in.
• Nonliving things can only grow by an outside entity, or grow by accretion. For instance, a material substance is added to a nonliving thing in order for it to increase in size. For example, a sponge gets bigger when you pour water on it.
• Since nonliving things don’t live, that means they can never die and have no lifespan.
• Then, unlike living things, nonliving things can’t reproduce, can’t gain nutrients, nor excrete anything.

What are examples of living and nonliving things?

It is important that children learn about some real-life examples of living things in order to compare them to nonliving. As your students are able to compare the differences, they will understand what living things are and what nonliving things are. Here are some examples:

Living Things

• Humans
• Trees
• Dogs
• fungi
• Whales
• Plants
• Flowers
• Birds
• Bacteria
• Coral

Nonliving Things

• Mountains
• Toys
• Phones
• Boxes
• Furniture
• Wood
• Clothing
• Pizza
• Paper
• Water

Living and Non Living Things Worksheet You will not want to miss this free Living and Non Living Things Worksheet Pack. Be sure to scroll to the bottom to get access.

Free Living and Non Living Things Worksheets

Grab some more resources below to help your child review and practice what they learned about living and non-living things.

Living or Nonliving Cut and Paste

Kids love cut and paste worksheets. They are an easy way to help classify and sort. 

Free Living and Nonliving Things Printable Worksheet – Add these free living and non-living things worksheets to your beginner science lesson plans and science activities.

Living and Non-Living Things Packet – This packet is a great addition to your living and non-living mini-unit. It includes a cut-and-paste picture sorting activity, activities for building vocabulary, and then an assessment page for review.

Grouping Living & Nonliving Things

Living/Nonliving Sorting Activity – Different things can be grouped together as living things or non-living things. This additional resource is a fun way to spice up your lessons with science worksheets and to practice grouping items.

Free Living and Nonliving Cards and More – This mini-packet includes living and non-living sorting cards, cut and paste characteristics of living things free notebooking templates, and several other types of free worksheets for living and non-living things.

Living or Nonliving Classification

Living vs Non-Living Learning Pack – Anything that has life is considered a living being. If you want to practice living and non-living classifications with your students, then this free download learning pack is perfect for your homeschool.

Interactive Classifying Living – Non-Living Things – Need to get away from worksheets for a bit? Your students will enjoy this interactive science resource to drag and drop a picture under the correct heading for living or non-living things.

Living and Non Living Things Worksheet PDF Download

What’s Included in the Living and Non Living Things Worksheet Pack:

In this worksheet pack, students can circle the living things and place an X over the nonliving things for fine motor skill practice and hand-eye coordination. There are also anchor charts to list as many livings and nonliving things as possible. On the third activity sheet, your children need to color on all the images that are living things. They also have space to draw various living things and non-living things.

In Conclusion

As your children interact with their physical environment, they become aware of their surroundings while being able to identify which of the objects around them are alive or are merely objects. Use these free living and non living things worksheets to help solidify this concept for your students.