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Living and Nonliving Things Activities for Preschoolers

Written by Debbie Brown | November 9, 2022

Here I’ve put together a collection of exciting living and nonliving things activities for preschoolers.

For preschoolers’ first introduction to the concept of living and nonliving things, you’ll want to keep it simple.
Give them a kid-friendly definition of living things, and some examples of living and nonliving things, then let them have fun practicing classifying the two. People, animals, and plants are great to start with as examples of living things.

When I first introduce this concept, I like to use real versions of items. For instance, I show a child a picture of a real lion, not a toy lion.

Living and nonliving things. Preschoolers petting living things

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Living Things Definition for Kids

  • Living things are alive they need:
    • food
    • water
    • a place to live / shelter
  • Living things can:
    • breathe
    • grow/ change
    • make more of their self /reproduce

Books About Living and Nonliving Things

Here are a few books that are great for explaining living and nonliving things to preschoolers.

A a child exploring a corn stalk for a living or nonliving activiity

Living and Nonliving Things Activities for Preschoolers

Use these games to help your preschooler learn more about the concept of living and nonliving things. FREE instant pdf downloads!

1. Living Nonliving Card Game

Living Nonliving Things Card Game

2. Yes or No? Card Game

This game is an extension of learning about Living and Nonliving Things. Answer the questions with Yes or No to determine if the subject in the picture has the characteristics of something living.

Yes or No Card Game

3. Nature Walk

Take a nature walk and look for living and nonliving things. Look at trees, plants, and flowers. Explore the tiny things crawling on the ground. Look up in the sky and across the lake. Ask your child questions. Depending on how well your child is understanding the concept you may want to ask more challenging questions to get them to think. For instance: The boat is moving. Is it a living thing? Why not?

Be sure to check out more fun activities for preschoolers


Debbie Brown Tothood 101

DEBBIE BROWN | Owner and Curriculum Designer

Hi! I’m Debbie Brown. I created Tothood 101 because I’m passionate about sharing preschool activity ideas, and resources that I’ve gleaned from my 20+ years of experience teaching preschoolers at home and in the classroom. My goal is to encourage, guide, and help inspire you to make learning SUPER FUN for your preschooler at home! Check out the ABOUT page to learn more.

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