Living things and non-living things — Biology, 4–6 years
Learn to notice what makes a plant or animal alive, and how it differs from a stone, toy or cup.
What does living mean?
A living thing is doing its own life work: it uses energy, grows and changes, and can make more of its kind. A kitten breathes, eats and grows; a seed can wake and become a plant. A stone may move when pushed, but it does not do these things by itself.
Why sort them?
People sort living and non-living things because it helps us ask the right questions. We care for a rabbit by giving it food, water and a safe place, but we do not feed a chair. Looking for breathing, growth and a response to the world gives us useful clues, even when something is very small.
A careful sort
Look at a bean, a wooden block and a snail. The bean may grow if it gets water and warmth; the snail breathes, eats and moves by itself. The wooden block can move only when something pushes it, so it is non-living. One clue is useful, but several clues together make the decision stronger.
Moving is not enough
It is easy to think that anything that moves is alive: a toy car rolls and a cloud travels across the sky. That is a sensible guess because movement is easy to see. But the toy needs a push or batteries, and the cloud is moved by air; neither grows, eats or makes young ones.
A useful look around
This way of looking helps when you care for a garden, a pet or a small creature outside. You can notice that a dry plant needs water or that an animal has changed as it grows. It also reminds you not to treat a toy, machine or stone as if it needed food and rest.
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