Living and Nonliving Things for Kids: Is It Alive? (Kindergarten to Grade 2 Science)

Hi, I'm Luna from DoodleBeez. Today we are sorting things into two groups, living and nonliving. Living things are alive. Nonliving things are not. Let's be science detectives and find out how to tell!

Living things grow and change. A tiny puppy grows into a dog. A seed grows into a tall tree. Living things also need food, water and air to stay alive.

Living things also make more living things like them. Cats have kittens. Plants make seeds. Living things can move on their own in some way. Even plants move a little, turning their leaves toward the sun.

Nonliving things do not grow, eat or breathe. A rock, a spoon and a toy car are nonliving. A toy car can move, but only when someone pushes it. It cannot grow or have baby cars!

Here is a tricky one. A cloud moves and grows bigger, but it is nonliving. It does not eat, breathe or make baby clouds. So always check all the clues, not just one.

So ask these detective questions. Does it grow? Does it need food, water and air? Does it make more of its own kind? If the answers are yes, it is a living thing.

Now it's your turn. Look at a fish, a ball and a flower. Which ones are living? Pause and try. The fish and the flower are living. They grow and need water. The ball is nonliving.

Great job! Remember, living things grow, need food, water and air, and make more of their own kind. Nonliving things do not. Practice living and nonliving things in the Science Lab at doodlebeez.com. See you next time!