Living and Nonliving Things Worksheets
All About These 15 Worksheets
One of the first big science skills kids learn is how to tell the difference between what’s alive and what isn’t. These worksheets bring that concept to life (pun intended!) by using pictures, puzzles, and hands-on activities to help students spot the unique traits of living things. Instead of just memorizing facts, children get to practice observing, sorting, and classifying in fun ways. Whether it’s coloring, cutting and pasting, or making their own lists, these sheets keep the learning active and engaging.
The collection covers all the bases: spotting true/false statements, sorting objects into groups, and focusing on the six key characteristics of living organisms. By seeing the concept from many different angles, kids start to build a deep understanding of what makes something alive. They’ll discover that living things need food, grow, reproduce, and respond to their surroundings-while nonliving things don’t. Each worksheet reinforces this foundation in a slightly different style so that every learner can find a method that clicks.
And the best part? These activities connect directly to the world kids see every day. From plants in the garden to toys in their room, students start noticing the difference between living and nonliving things all around them. That real-world connection makes science feel exciting and meaningful-exactly the kind of spark that helps children stay curious about the world.
Have a Look Inside Each Worksheet
3 Thing
Students examine three images and determine which are living or nonliving-building quick classification skills.
True or False
Learners evaluate statements like “Plants grow,” marking them as true or false to reinforce understanding of life-defining traits.
Cut and Paste Living
An interactive activity where students cut out images and paste them into “living” or “nonliving” categories, encouraging hands-on engagement.
Circle the Living
Kids identify and circle living organisms in a busy image, practicing visual discrimination between living and nonliving things.
Living and Nonliving Sorting
Students sort a variety of pictures into living or nonliving groups, reinforcing categorization skills.
List 10 More
Encourages deeper thinking by challenging students to list ten additional living or nonliving examples beyond those provided.
Box Sorting
Features items inside boxes-students must decide if each box contains living or nonliving things, strengthening sorting and decision-making.
Living Checks
Children use check marks to indicate characteristics or items that belong to living or nonliving groups, combining observation with recording skills.
Six Characteristics
Helps students focus on the six key characteristics that define living things (e.g., growth, reproduction), promoting scientific thinking.
Which Is It?
Presents scenarios or images, asking learners to choose whether the subject is living or nonliving-great for assessment and reflection.
Classify Them
A broader sorting task where students categorize multiple items by drawing lines or marking labels as living or nonliving.
Sorting Things
Another classification exercise offering variety in visuals or formats to reinforce sorting practice.
Color the Living
A coloring-based activity where students color only the living things in an image, combining creativity with learning.
Name Things That…
Students list items that belong in either category based on prompts like “things that grow” or “things that don’t need food.”
Picture Matching
Learners match pictures of things with their correct classification-pairing images of living things with “living,” and vice versa.
How to Tell If Something Is Living
Determining whether something is living can be done by observing its characteristics and behaviors. To identify if an object or entity is a living organism, look for the following signs:
Cellular Organization
Living organisms are made up of one or more cells. These cells are the basic units of life, containing genetic material and carrying out essential life processes.
Growth, Development, and Reproduction
Living organisms undergo growth and development, changing in size and complexity over time. This may involve cell division, differentiation, and the development of specialized structures.
Living organisms have the ability to reproduce, either sexually or asexually, creating offspring that inherit traits from their parent(s).
Response to Stimuli
Living organisms can respond to external stimuli in their environment. This may include reacting to changes in temperature, light, or chemical signals, and allows organisms to adapt and survive in different conditions.
Metabolism
Living organisms carry out various chemical reactions to maintain life. This includes processes like converting food into energy, synthesizing new molecules, and breaking down waste products.
Homeostasis
Living organisms maintain a stable internal environment, despite fluctuations in their external environment. This involves regulating factors such as temperature, pH, and the concentration of various substances within their cells.
Adaptation and Evolution
Living organisms can adapt to their environment and evolve over time. Through the process of natural selection, populations of organisms develop traits that help them survive and reproduce more effectively in their specific environment.
If an object or entity displays these characteristics, it is likely a living organism. However, it is important to note that some nonliving things may exhibit one or more of these traits (e.g., crystals can grow), so it’s essential to consider multiple characteristics when determining if something is living or not.