Living Things Worksheet: Identifying Living and Non-Living Things
This worksheet asks 4-6 year olds to sort images into living and non-living categories and then separately identify what living things actually need to survive — air, water, food, and space to grow — which moves beyond simple classification into understanding the defining characteristics of life. That two-part structure (sort, then reason about needs) makes this a solid introduction to basic biology concepts that children will build on in later science classes.
Part of the pack
Month 5: Preschool Subjects and Play | Ages Up to 4Curriculum
How to use this worksheet
Look at the images together and talk about what makes something 'living' — can it grow, move, breathe, or need food? Have your child circle every living thing on the page, explaining their reasoning as they go. Have them cross out the non-living things next, again explaining why each one doesn't fit the living category. Finally, have them circle the items that living things need to survive, discussing why each one matters.
Materials needed
- Pencil
- Crayons
Extension activities
- •Go on a nature walk and point out living things (birds, insects, plants) versus non-living things (rocks, benches).
- •Draw a picture of a living thing along with the things it needs to survive, like water and sunlight for a plant.
- •Make a collage using magazine cutouts of things living creatures need.
- •Care for a houseplant or pet together for a week, checking off its needs each day.
- •Play a quick sorting game with household objects and toy animals, deciding living versus non-living.
Tips for parents and teachers
Objects that move but aren't alive — cars, clouds, wind-up toys — commonly confuse children at this age, so use those as specific teaching moments about what 'alive' really means. Ask your child to explain their reasoning for each choice rather than just accepting a correct answer, since the explanation reveals real understanding. Talking through the characteristics of living things — needing air, water, food, and the ability to grow — in simple terms helps the concept stick.
Written by
Hemsweta Jain · Teacher Cheena
MBA and Early Childhood Educator, teaching since 2014 · Founder of RaisoActive, Mumbai
Every RaisoActive worksheet is designed and checked by the founder before publishing.
Published · Last reviewed
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